Sparrow Illusion
by GorimJr
Summary: Years after Sparrow's sacrifice is made, she's gone on to remarry and has a son. But destiny never stops looking for you; it ebbs and flows, and Sparrow soon finds herself, along with the other Heros, in danger that only their children can save them from.
1. Ebb and Flow

**This is my first Fable II story. I hope it's alright. I've gotten most of it in my head already. It seems interesting... XD**

Bowerstone Market was bustling, as per usual. Talk filled the air. Stall vendors called out their wares and prices were haggled. The blacksmith's ring echoed over it all. Children ran around, laughing and playing. And, without even knowing it, one was different. The son of the blacksmith and, unbeknownst to him, a Hero called Sparrow.

Sparrow herself wasn't there now. As far as the boy knew, she was a traveling trader, off on business. And, in a way, she was. He knew she'd _been _a Hero, before defeating Lucien, and he'd heard her stories of battling Hobbes and facing the Balvarines and Banshees. But he was, in his own tiny head, quite certain that she had retired. This wasn't so.

The blacksmith knew, of course. She didn't keep anything from Dave. He knew she was off in Wraithmarsh, fighting Banshees to find the body of Lady Grey, to help, in his words, "Some poor necrophilia-sufferin' sod." She thought the grave-keepers crush was cute, though, and helped him cheerfully.

And that was finally done. She walked into the Square from Old Town Road, looking like she was about to fall asleep on her feet. Her son rushed up, along with all the other children. She dispensed autographs, then was dragged to the house by her son, who, thankfully, got her out of having to tell the children about her "latest adventure". What he thought were simply stories was actually what she'd really been doing.

She sat down, laying her head on the table.

"So, Mother!" Her son chirped. She looked up with a smile. "Where did you go this time?"

"Bloodstone," she said. "Through Wraithmarsh. Awful place. I'm lucky I've been there before." She said, pushing her white hair out of her face. Her son nodded seriously.

"Were there Banshees?" He asked interestedly.

"One." She said. "I managed to bolt from the other."

"Hollow men?"

"Lots. That really annoyed me. Kept popping up everywhere." She said brightly. "So, now it's your turn, Peter. How was school?"

"Fine. No red marks. Perfect." Peter said impatiently. "Mother, is it possible for Lucien to come back?"

"No. I'm sure of that." She said sharply. Then she grinned. "Reaver and I shot him at the same time, and he fell to the bottom of the Tower. I'm fairly certain that that's fatal…"

"Yeah, I'd assume so." Peter agreed. "You look tired, Mother. You should go to bed." Sparrow smiled.

"Thanks, hun. Good-night."

"Good-night."

--

Peter's eyes opened a crack as a soft knock echoed through the house. Grumbling, Sparrow got out of bed and go downstairs.

He crept out of bed and down the stairs after her, and seeing a tall, hooded woman in the doorway.

"Theresa?" Sparrow gasped.

"Hello, Sparrow. May I come in?" The woman asked, her voice soft and gentle. Sparrow nodded and the woman walked in. Peter could see through the darkness that the woman was blind. But then, how did she know who opened the door?

For a moment, Theresa and Peter's eyes met. A small smile appeared on the woman's strange face, and she nodded slightly. Peter nodded back, unable to tear his eyes from the woman. Sparrow didn't see this as she closed the door.

"Theresa, happy as I am to see you, what're you doing here?" She asked. Theresa turned from Peter and smiled at Sparrow.

"In ten years time, you and the other Heros and their children will meet at Reaver's Mansion in Bloodstone. There, destiny will flow again. It has ebbed since Lucien's defeat, but it must continue."

"Ten years?" Sparrow asked. "Peter'll be eighteen then. That was how old I was when I started off."

"Yes… It is, isn't it?" Theresa asked good-naturedly. Sparrow frowned.

"I can't take Peter to Bloodstone… I'm uncomfortable enough there, without my son with me."

"Oh, alright." Theresa said placidly. "Then Reaver, his daughter, Hammer, her son, and Garth and his daughters will come to YOU."

Sparrow stared at Theresa in silence for nearly a minute, as if imagining how that would go over. "Fine." She said. "I'll go to Bloodstone in ten years."

"With Peter." Theresa reminded her gently.

"With Peter." Sparrow said through gritted teeth.

"Wonderful. You'll know when to start, my dear. It's been good to see you again." Theresa smiled. Sparrow's eyes softened, and she smiled too.

"You too Aunt Theresa." She said. Then she stopped. "Okay… Reaver has a daughter?"

"Yes. You'll see."

--

The next day, Sparrow didn't mention the woman to Peter's father. Peter waited for her too, but even as he did, he knew she wouldn't.

Years flowed by. Soon, it became clear to Peter that Sparrow had never retired from being a Hero, and still helped others. He even confronted her about it, when he was fourteen, and she admitted it readily. She even seemed relieved.

Peter never forgot that night, though sometimes, it seemed like Sparrow did. One day, he picked up the toy gun she'd gotten him and went into Bower Lake. He found some beetles and aimed as they settled. A few high bangs snapped the silence, and he'd killed them all with ease. He twirled the gun on his finger with a grin.

_I am a Hero._

**Reaver and a daughter?! Oh gods!**


	2. The Beginning

**Review time! Only two, but hopefully that will change. Please review! I LIVE for them! XD They give me a reason to go on in this cruel, cruel world. T^T  
**

**tennyshoe: Thank you very much! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and the ones that come after.**

**King Tavi: ;;; Uh, I guess I forgot to mention that. But his description is basically tall and lanky with brown hair and blue eyes, like his mom. I don't think he's that strong, because he's really just a kid right now. And what makes you think Dave is strong naturally? O_o**

**Of course, his description will change over the course of the story, just like in the game.  
**

When Peter was eighteen, something very strange happened. While he was walking back from Old Town, carrying the groceries against the bitter cold of the icy drizzle, a bright blue light flashed in the sky. It came from the direction of Oakfield; a blue wave of light that rushed over the market square.

People screamed; shop owners rushed out of their shops and people ran out of their houses. Peter saw Sparrow standing outside their house, next to the bookshop, with a strange look on her face. Shock, yes, but something else. Excitement, almost.

The wave passed, and a hush fell on the square. Mutters and whispers. Frightened people watched the sky for a moment, then hurriedly went back to their business. The blacksmith ran out of his shop, across the square to Sparrow.

"Dear, that looked like-"

"I know," she said softly. "The Tattered Spire. It activated again." She turned to Dave, biting her lip. "Dave, I need to tell you something." She ushered him into the house.

Peter watched his parents go into the house and walked under the clock tower, waiting. The door of his house slammed open, and Dave stalked out, looking angry, with Sparrow close behind, looking sheepish.

"I can't believe this!" Dave snarled, whirling around to glare at her. "I can't believe that some blind woman came to our house, practically _told _you this would happen, and you didn't even tell me!"

"Some things have to be kept a secret. Theresa said that Peter and I have to go to Bloodstone-"

"Bloodstone!" Dave muttered incredulously.

"Yes, Bloodstone," Sparrow said patiently.

"There's no easy way there!" Dave said, distressed. "You'd either have to travel to Westcliff and sail, or travel through Wraithmarsh!"

"I know… But-"

"Hey! What was that?" Peter cut in, walking up with the bags of food. Both of his parents stared at him, as if they'd completely forgotten about his existence. Then, Sparrow sighed.

"Peter, I need to talk to you."

"NO!" Dave snapped. "Neither of you are going anywhere!" Sparrow's eyebrow raised sharply. Dave stood straight, locking stares with Sparrow stubbornly.

"Whether or not you want it to happen, Dave," Sparrow said softly. "Peter and I must go to Bloodstone and see the other Heroes. Now, we have to decide which route to take."

Dave stared at her, and slumped in defeat. "I'm not having any part of this," he said softly. He turned and walked back to his store.

Sparrow watched sadly, then sighed. Peter walked up to her and cocked his head.

"Mom? We have to go to Bloodstone?" He prompted. The night the woman called Theresa came back to him. Sparrow nodded, taking a deep, shaky breath.

"Yes. Come on, we have to figure out what we're going to do." They went into the house. Sparrow closed the door, and they sat at the table. "There are two ways we can do it," Sparrow said. "We can travel through Bandit Coast to Westcliff, through the Howling Halls to the settlement of Westcliff to take a boat to Bloodstone."

"That sounds sticky." Peter commented. Sparrow nodded.

"I'd rather not. Another way is to travel through to Wraithmarsh, by land."

"That… sounds even stickier!" Peter retorted. Sparrow shrugged.

"But it'd be quicker." She said. Peter raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you're gonna have to explain that to me, Mom." He said skeptically. She chuckled.

"An old acquaintance of mine, Garth, has a tower in Brightwood. When we were working to find and kill Lucien, he created a cullis gate that was supposed to take us to Bloodstone. It malfunctioned in some way, but it will still help us. It'll take us straight to Wraithmarsh. Not ideal… But it's quicker than walking the whole way." Peter nodded slowly.

"Alright… That sounds like that would work… I guess…" Peter said slowly. "But first. Why are we going?"

"Because Theresa said we had to." Sparrow said, getting up and going upstairs. Peter followed closely.

"Who's Theresa? Why are we going to Bloodstone?"

"Theresa is the woman who helped me become a Hero. We're going to Bloodstone to see the Three Heroes and their children." Sparrow answered distractedly as she packed food and a change of clothes in a bag.

"But what does that have to do with… Why do I have to come?"

"Honey, I wish I knew," Sparrow sighed. "You'd better get ready. The sooner we leave, the better."

Peter sighed in frustration. _Like trying to get answers from a Demon Door…_ With a sigh, he went over to his dresser and began stuffing clothes into a pack.

"You might want to pack something nice. It's Reaver's house, and Avo knows what he might be planning, if he knows we're coming." Peter frowned, but put something dressier in the bag, albeit roughly.

Sparrow walked over to him and ruffled his hair affectionately. "You're getting so tall…" She said.

"It's been going around." Peter replied. She grinned.

"Five years ago, I was so sure you'd be fat by now." She quipped. Peter laughed in disbelief.

"You say the nicest things, Ma."

Sparrow left a note on the table. Both quailed at the thought of telling the blacksmith they were leaving. As they walked underneath the gate to Bower Lake, Sparrow said, "This'll probably be pretty dangerous."

"I know. But obviously I don't have much choice, so I'll stick with you." Peter retorted. Sparrow smiled, then, as they walked into the Bower Lake Region, reached into her bag and tossed him a iron rifle and sword.

He caught them and stared. "What're these for? We're nowhere near Wraithmarsh, or even Brightwood." Sparrow smiled.

"Beetles."

--

They didn't encounter many beetles, and those few times lasted about three seconds. Sparrow would take out her sword and cut them down in less than a second. The bandits had been taken care of years ago, so the only place you'd see them is Bandit Coast. The Hobbes had been exterminated years ago as well, and now lived in only remote caves in Rookridge. So, it took very little time and effort to get to Garth's Tower.

Peter stood next to his mother at the gates. He raised an eyebrow and said quietly, "Who does the landscaping?" Sparrow nudged him, and they walked into the tower.

As they climbed up the stairs, Peter noticed how… barren everything was.

"It doesn't look like anyone's lived here for years," he commented.

"That's because nobody has. Garth went to Samarkand after Lucien was killed, along with Reaver. But I heard tell that Reaver came back just a few months before you were born. I guess that explains how he managed to have a kid." She shook her head. "That girl HAS to be illegitimate."

Peter shook his head. "Mom, that's not a very nice thing to say."

"You'll understand when you see Reaver, Peter." Sparrow said. They made it to the roof, and Peter saw a strange blue circle that glowed steadily.

"Get in. I'll follow." Sparrow said. Peter sighed, and stepped into the light. Immediately, he was engulfed in the blue light. Blinded for a moment, the light's intensity diminished, and he saw that his surroundings had changed completely.

An eerie fog surrounded him, making it impossible to see what was a few meters ahead of him. He stepped off of platform, and Sparrow arrived moments later.

"Welcome to Wraithmarsh."

**Welcome indeed...**

**^ That comment was brought to you by your narrarator, The Seeress Theresa! Please wave to Theresa as you come and go.  
**


	3. They Are Four

**Thank you all for reviewing! This is proof that it makes me post faster. So... REVIEW!**

**MidgetX: Thanks! I got the feeling that I was kinda... getting more into it, you know? I hope this chapter's good.**

**Hope(): Thank you!**

**Piraticaly-Insane: Thank you very much! I really appreciate the fav and the watch! And so, little more than an hour after your review, here is your update, my dear! :D**

A strange hush lay over the scene. Peter gripped the hilt of his sword nervously, while Sparrow started off. He followed closely, looking around.

The entire place was covered in a thick, unnatural fog. As they trudged through swampy terrain, Peter noticed flooded houses all over, and fences.

"Is this…?"

"Yes. This used to be Oakvale." Sparrow answered softly.

As if on cue, small, pure white orbs of light descended from the sky. They burrowed into the earth, and skeletons with wicked cleavers and tattered rags burst from the ground. There were three in all, and their eyes glowed with the light from the orbs.

Sparrow drew her sword, and Peter followed quickly. As she hacked at the skeletons, Peter stood back, wondering what to do.

One got past her, and rushed at him, cleaver held high. Peter's heart skipped a beat, and he swung the sword at the thing. It sliced through the bone, and the skeleton crumbled, becoming dust.

Sparrow smiled. "Good job! Come on!" And they continued through the marsh.

They encountered horde upon horde of Hollow Men, but they only encountered one banshee, for which Peter was thankful.

As they passed a cul-de-sac with a well in the center, filled with fog, the fog suddenly became much thicker. A strange, floating, robed woman rose from nothing. Sparrow quickly took out her pistol and shot at it, but before Peter to follow, the banshee covered her face. Small black shadow-like creatures sprouted from the ground. Peter hacked away at them, but suddenly the air was filled with strange whispering.

_Hero… you're a Hero…. You're family is dead. They would have been better off without you…_

Peter couldn't look at his mother, or the banshee as she whispered dark thoughts, but the ankle biters, were soon gone. The banshee continued to whisper.

_He didn't understand why his best friend was __**murdering **__him! Did you even try to save your sister? You're weak!_

Sparrow shot at the thing, but the pistol was too weak to do much damage. Peter took out his rifle and aimed for the banshee's face.

And fired.

It shrieked at an ear-piercing octave. Peter winced, stepping back several steps. The banshee wailed and simply faded away. The fog lifted slightly.

Sparrow stood stiff in front of the well, biting her lip.

"It gets to me every time." She muttered.

"Feh. It was a liar anyway." Peter said dismissively. Sparrow shot him a questioning glance. "It said your family was dead. We're your family, me and Dad. Right?"

Sparrow stared at him, then started to say something. However, she seemed to think better of it, and smiled, nodding. "Right. Bloodstone is just up there." They started off. But Peter couldn't help wondering…

What if it wasn't lying?

--

Bloodstone made Peter uncomfortable.

Whores were on every corner, and the people were ragged and frightening, in his opinion. As they trudged through the streets, Peter asked what the Heroes were like.

"Well, Hammer's the only lady other than me. She's one of my best friends; we're the only two who've kept in touch. She's really nice; I'm sure you'll like her."

"And the guy with the tower?"

"Garth. I don't really know him very well, but he seems okay, I guess." She said absently.

"And Reaver?" He asked, looking around awkwardly at the grungy houses.

"I hate him." The statement was so dead-pan and matter-of-fact that Peter stopped in the middle of the street and stared at his mother in shock.

She turned. "What? It's true. He's a bad person." She said. Peter shook his head and started after her.

They approached what was undoubtedly the largest place there. A large statue of twin dolphins, and flowers, which double doors and two staircases leading to them.

They stopped in front of the double doors, and Sparrow knocked sharply.

"Come in, come in, it's open." A urbane, clipped voice called out from inside the house. Peter hesitated. Sparrow shot him an encouraging glance and went in. He followed, glancing around the foyer.

The place was big and rich, and full of expensive furniture. They walked up a small hallway, and Sparrow opened the door.

Three people stood in the room talking, and they were a study in contrasts. One was tall, pale, and handsome. He wore fashionable clothing, and when he saw Sparrow enter, he grinned. For some reason, he reminded Peter of a snake with very beautiful scales. This was obviously Reaver.

The other man was tall, but not as tall as Reaver. He had dark skin, white hair, and strange blue markings all over his person. His clothes were strange robes that were made to be cool. He nodded to Sparrow, and then glanced at Peter with raised eyebrows.

The third and final was a woman. She was short and stocky, with hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her clothing was strange; blue and white baggy clothing made of a strange fabric. When Sparrow and Peter entered, she gasped and practically tackled Sparrow in a hug.

"You're here! Oh, it's great to see you!" She said happily as they embraced. Sparrow grinned.

"Ah…" Reaver said sadly, eyeing Peter. "You remarried." Peter's eyebrow raised sharply. Sparrow smirked.

"Actually, he's illegitimate." She said with a straight face. Reaver gasped with a grin.

"Really?"

"_No!_" Sparrow and Peter snapped in unison.

"Don't worry too much about him," a deep voice said from behind Peter. It had the same accent as Hammer, and it was just as thick. Peter turned and saw a young man about the same age as himself, of medium height and build with thick red hair and a handsome face. He grinned and held his hand out. "Pelicrovol. Nice to meet you." Peter shook his hand. "The girls are getting ready upstairs. In fact, they should be done…"

"Alright!" A clear, high voice called from the stairs. "They're presentable now!" Just as the door opened, Peter realized that it reminded him of Reaver.

Three young women walked into the room. Two were obviously twins. They were dark of skin and hair and grey of eye. They weren't tall, but they were lithe and willowy, and glided across the floor in unison, wearing identical silver dresses.

The other was tall, like Reaver, with golden curls that brushed her shoulders and bright blue eyes that were flecked with gold. Her heart-shaped face brightened when she saw Peter and Sparrow. She went over in her blue dress and curtsied gracefully.

"Hello. I name is Asineth. It's wonderful to meet you." She said. Peter felt a powerful urge to bow, and gave into it. Asineth beamed, and Peter saw, out of the corner of his eye, Reaver's look soften. To Peter, it seemed like it was more than just a fatherly thing. It seemed like he was almost sad. Peter decided not to ask about it. He had to strange feeling that if he asked about it, he'd get shot.

"Wow, Asi. You clean up good." Pelicrovol said glibly. Asineth glared at him.

"I wonder why you're talking, Pelicrovol," she said disdainfully. "Nobody's listening."

"Ah, Miss. I-Don't-Like-You, aren't you dead yet?" He snapped back.

"Don't worry about them." The others in the room jumped as the twins spoke in unison. "They've been like that since they met. By the way…"

"I'm Whisper." Said one with a smile.

"I'm Briar." Said the other with a smirk.

"Um, nice to meet you both. I'm Peter." Peter said with a polite smile, trying to hide the fact that they were kind of eerie.

"Peter!" Asineth cried teasingly, grabbing his hand. "Pelicrovol's not being a gentleman like you!"

"Oh, shut it!" Pelicrovol laughed, grabbing her other hand.

In a flash, Whisper grabbed Pelicrovol and Briar's hand, and Briar grabbed Peter's other hand. Then they spoke softly together.

"And so we are Four."

"Wonderful." Reaver quipped. "They _can _count." Garth glared at him. If looks could kill… Reaver'd probably be dead five times over. He ignored Garth's glare. "However, since I have no earthly idea _why _you all are here, it seems only fair that you all leave."

"Oh, NO! I did not just walk through Wraithmarsh to turn right around! We're staying the night at _least._" Sparrow snapped.

"You _walked _through _Wraithmarsh_?" Reaver asked incredulously.

"You know what I mean." Sparrow snapped.

"Look, I'm sorry, really, but you have to leave now, okay, bye bye!" Reaver snapped. He and Sparrow glared at each other, and then Asineth cut in.

"Papa, I don't think it'd be that big of a deal if they spent just _one _night here. Please? Just one night?" Asineth asked, batting her eyelashes at him. Reaver frowned, then sighed.

"Fine." He relented. Hammer grinned.

"Aww. Lookit. His hearts wandering for his daughter!" She said with a laugh.

Reaver glared. "You wanna go wander outside?" He asked darkly_._

**"His hearts wandering" means that he'll bend over backwards for her. He dotes on her. Which is true. In this, his heart kinda softens up for her, and it's more than just because she's his daughter. Anyway, I'll try and update tomorrow. ... No, I'll update tomorrow.**


	4. Destiny

**As promised, here's the next chapter! Longer than usual, but I didn't want to stop! XD **

**MidgetX: Thank you very much! Please keep honoring me with your reviews! :)**

**Piraticaly-Insane: Thank you! As I think more about this story and daydream more about it, the more it becomes cemented in my head that Reaver, Asineth, and the destruction of Oakvale will play a very large part in this. Well, a part, at least. **

Peter lay in bed, thinking about what he'd observed in the Heroes.

Garth, as his mother had said, seemed nice enough. Not a man of many words, he mostly watched and listened to the other conversations, with the air of someone who would store it all away for later use. He did talk a bit with Sparrow about the activation of the Spire, though. But Peter only caught snippets of the conversation, because Palicrovol kept talking to him.

"Do you think Theresa activated it? To tell us when to leave?" Sparrow asked quietly.

"I'm not sure. Theresa has the Will to do so, but I don't know if that reason is reason enough to re-activate the Spire." Garth replied, taking a bite of food.

"Good point. Well, if that isn't it… why would she re-activate it?" But neither knew the answer.

Reaver struck of chord of annoyance in Peter, though Asineth was nice. Reaver seemed smarmy and too touchy with Sparrow in Peter's opinion. However, sometimes, Reaver seemed to contradict his words with his actions. While he made it clear that he wanted them all gone, he seemed to be doing his best to make them comfortable. And he cheered up enormously when his banter drew a smile out of Asineth, or Sparrow.

Hammer was probably his favorite out of the bunch. She was the most talkative, and the most sincere. She told stories of the north, how it was frigid, but that was okay, because it brought up your endurance.

"It's the code to fight only when needed," she stated seriously. "Just because you can doesn't necessarily mean you should."

"That's the precise opposite of my motto!" Reaver cut in.

Peter sighed. And then there were the others his age.

The twins, while completely alike physically, polarized in manner. Whisper was a cheerful, mature, gentle person, who Peter liked immensely. Briar's name fit her like a puzzle piece. She was thorny and sarcastic (Though Peter could, on occasion, be described the same way), and seemed to enjoy fighting. She got in an argument with Asineth on some obscure topic that, when explained by Garth, made Peter's head spin. However, they both enjoyed the argument immensely. When they finally stopped yelling at each other, Asineth burst out laughing and said, "I've never had so much fun in my life!"

Asineth… In Peter's mind, there was no word that didn't understate her. She was fiery and charming, though a bit ditzy, and perhaps a little spoiled, used to having her way. While she was also rather touchy, her touches seemed less sensual and more an attempt at connection. She and Palicrovol snapped insults at each other, and Peter and the twins watched interestedly.

Palicrovol was very much like his mother. Loud and a bit narcissistic, Asineth spent the first few minutes of dinner watching him closely, while he talked loudly to Peter and bragged to Whisper. Then, she gasped and said, "That's the word I'm looking for!" Then she pointed at the surprised Palicrovol and said, "You're _annoying_!"

Reaver and the twins laughed until their sides were sore, while the others chuckled and Asineth smiled a smile devoid of malice, as Palicrovol tried to drown himself in soup.

Now they all lay in comfy beds, waiting for the sun to rise, so they could, rather reluctantly, go their separate ways.

"Try to sleep," Palicrovol whispered. "And try not to think of what's been done in this bed."

"Ugh! That's disgusting!" Peter snapped quietly to him. The twins laughed and Asineth shushed them.

Peter frowned as the strangest sound hit his ears. It was like the stomping of feet. He got up and looked out the window.

Since the house was large, he could see over to the docks, and saw a large ship in harbor, and dozens of strange looking soldiers ran out onto the beach. At first, he was confused as to what was happening. Then he saw them begin to cut down bystanders, the people walking in the streets and the whores at their corners.

Asineth had gotten up and looked over his shoulder. She gasped, and ran out of the room, after calling for the twins and Palicrovol to get up. They scrambled to get up as Asineth called for Reaver and the others.

They met in the main room.

"You know, Sparrow, I've noticed that whenever you come to my home, I have need of this." He opened a secret tunnel. "I excavated the exit when Garth showed up at my door with his twins." He motioned for them to go. "Get in, shoo! We don't have much time!" They all rushed down the tunnel just as the door was knocked off it's hinges. Reaver groaned.

"I _just _had that door re-carved…" He muttered sadly.

"I know…" Asineth said, looking like she shared in his profound loss. Hammer snickered.

"They're even more alike then I thought," Peter heard her whisper to Sparrow, who grinned.

"Funny how they can be alike, yet so different." His mother answered. Hammer nodded.

As they crossed high, rickety bridges, the strange soldiers caught up with them. Sparrow drew her sword and frowned.

"You guys… do those soldiers look…?"

"Familiar?" Reaver answered calmly. "Why, yes. They look surprisingly like Lord Lucien's men. Same collars and everything."

As the Heroes plowed through the strange soldiers, Palicrovol and Peter held back to make sure the girls weren't hurt. Later, as they ran, Asineth made it clear that she didn't like that arrangement.

"Papa, give me a gun." She said seriously as they ran down the tunnels. Reaver stared at her, not watching where he was running.

"I'm sorry, I must have gone a little dear due to Sparrow's Blunderbuss," he said seriously. "There's no WAY a girl like you could-" He winced as the combined glares of the twins, Asineth, and Sparrow. "_Fine_. Here." He handed her a pistol reluctantly. "Don't shoot yourself."

"I won't," she said cheerfully. "Thanks, Papa!"

They reached the end of the tunnels and ran into the clear, crisp night air. Reaver took out a switch and flicked it. There was a small explosion and the tunnel caved in.

"Nice." Peter said admiringly. Reaver grinned and Sparrow shook her head.

"Don't encourage him, Dear," she snapped. Reaver sighed.

"Fine. I saved you all. Now. Bye!"

As if one cue, a strange, cone-shaped stone that crackled loudly appeared almost out of nowhere.

"Oh, hell no…." Reaver snarled. "Sparrow, Garth, get ready to throw some spells. Children… You go over there!" He pointed at an alcove of rock. Asineth groaned, but Palicrovol dragged her into the alcove along with the twins and Peter.

The Shard summoned a whole brigade of the soldiers that they'd left far behind before. As Hammer and Reaver fought them, Garth and Sparrow began throwing thunder and fire at the Shard, lowering its defenses.

A group of the soldiers broke off… and attacked the alcove.

Palicrovol hissed and punched one of them in the face. Peter unsheathed his sword and stepped up, while Asineth cocked her gun and aimed.

Peter sliced the arm off of one of the soldiers. The arm fell with a thunk, still clutching the hammer the man had been wielding. Palicrovol snatched the hammer up and swung it powerfully, crushing several men. Asineth aimed and shot, killing four men and wounding two.

"Not bad." Reaver called. "You'll do!" Asineth grinned as she reloaded.

Just as it looked like it was over, the Shard glowed again, summoned more. And it happened all over again.

The twins stayed in the alcove, whispering to one another.

"So, Asineth is the daughter of the Thief. She can shot, like he can."

"Yes, that seems to be true."

"And Palicrovol is the son of the Pilgrim, and he's very strong, regardless of his build."

"Yes, that's true."

"And Peter is both of those, and more, due to being the child of the Fourth."

"Yes."

"So, it's possible that we, as the daughters of the Mage, have the ability to use the power of Will."

"I'd say that's a good bet."

Placing their hands together, they raised their other hands in unison and focused. An orb of thunder formed between their hands and they released it. It flew past the soldiers as they dived for cover, and hit the Shard. They smirked in unison, and began to fight.

The battle went on for hours. The Shard had been improved, and while it was weakening, the Heroes were weakening faster, and their children faster still. Palicrovol fell to his knees in exhaustion, and Peter could barely lift his sword. Whisper and Briar were slumped, leaning against the rocks, their thunder barely qualifying as static. Asineth had been pushed away from the group and up to the high cliff, and continued to shoot, her hands trembling with fatigue.

The Heroes were doing better, but they were crumbling.

Then, the Shard attacked. Sending a beam of red light between Sparrow and Garth, they were so focused on their spell making that they didn't notice until Hammer called, "Look out! It's attacking!" But by then, it was too late.

Sparrow flew into the sea, while Garth was slammed into the wall of rock, dazed. The Shard began to summon were Sparrow and Garth had been previously, and the exhausted survivors waited, while Garth heaved himself up and Sparrow dragged herself out of the sea.

On the cliff, to the horror of the Heroes, materialized Lucien.

He smiled. "Hello. It's so interesting to see you all again. Reaver, Hammer, Garth. Sparrow." They all stared at him in horror. While they were occupied, the Shard summoned more soldiers. They grabbed the Heroes from behind, while the children were ignored.

"I suppose you're all wondering how I came back?" Lucien asked softly. "An interesting story, really. It appeared as if the Spire had one last wish in it. Mine. And I used it, my spirit wished to return. And I did." His smile grew cold. "And I see the blood of Heroes flows still. Intriguing."

Asineth rushed back over to the others, and they stood together. They trembled with cold and exhaustion, confused.

"But I knew this. I knew of the Queen, the Monk, the Heir, and the Two Who Are One. I heard of them from my new slave, Theresa." Sparrow gasped. "Yes. It's interesting, the things she sees. I was warned of the threat your children pose. So, I'll rid myself of that threat now."

The Shard aimed it's blood-red beam at the children, though they were so focused on the resurrected Lucien that they, like their parent, didn't notice it.

The blow was titanic. They all flew in different directions, and they didn't get up.

Hammer screamed and Sparrow and Reaver struggled desperately. Garth stared at his daughters, who lay utterly still. Terribly still.

Lucien smiled. "And you," he said softly. "You all are coming with me. To give the Spire back it's power." And the Heroes were dragged from the bodies of their children, back to the Spire.

--

Theresa watched with her sightless eyes. She sat in a cold stone room of the Spire. While the room was richly furnished, that did not overwrite the fact that there was a collar around her neck, though it was thinner and less bulky. Improved.

She knew it would happen, but it still saddened her to see the Heroes fall. However, there was still hope. The children on the beach; they still lived. The Hero blood still flowed, sluggishly, in their veins.

Closing her eyes, she called softly to them.

_Wake up. Death is not your destiny. Wake up!_

**By slave, he just means that she's his prisoner. Poor Theresa. I like her, even though she's obviously a bit cloak-and-dagger. I think she orchestrated the whole thing (the game), but that doesn't mean she's not a very cool character. And if she's a villianess, all the better!**


	5. Seperate Paths

**Oh my goodness! I am so sorry that this took so long, but what with Christmas and my computer getting sick... MADNESS, I TELL JOO!**

**Anyway, I think I may post twice today. As an apology. Either today or tomorrow. Probably today. ^ ^**

**Gamerof1548: ^ ^ Thanks! I'll keep writing! *determined not to drop this one!***

**MidgetX: XDD Yeah. Well, replies make me happy, so we both win! :D**

**Piraticaly-Insane: Thanks! I like Asineth too! Yeah, like Hammer said, Asineth's kind of... softened Reaver up. I don't think I'll really get the chance to say so, so I'll say it now.**

**Asineth was concieved in one of those late-night romps (A.K.A. Orgies...) led by Reaver. *ahem* Skipping over the rather gross details, the mother gave birth, blah blah blah, however! She wasn't going to tell her husband (Yes, she had a very nasty little affair) that it wasn't his, but it was kind of obvious when Asineth was born with tawny eyes (get it? Skill is yellow? So she was born with yellow eyes? Like, the color of her irises was yellow! These changed to blue as the years went by). He, the husband, left Asineth (at that point unnamed) on Reaver's doorstep, since his wife told him who she did the deed with. **

**Reaver honestly had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to do with a baby girl. In fact, when he found the little bundle of joy on his doorstep, he was rather hoping that it was all a very bad dream. However, as she grew, he warmed up to her, and eventually began spoiling her... XD Oh, man, I should have written that story and posted it as a Christmas present to you readers! As a thanks! In fact, I can if you want!**

**Anyway, moving on...**

**SarahHyan: Oh, not High-And-Mighty at all. I try to read it out loud to myself before I post, but sometimes I'm a lazy procrastinator. XD I try to model Peter, personality-wise, after my current favorite TV character. Peter Bishop ( Sometimes, I'm very unoriginal...) from Fringe. I love that show...  
**

_Wake up…_

Peter's eyes opened. The light around him was dim, dawn was breaking.

"I've been out for hours…" He whispered, trying to heave himself up, with no success.

_Yes. You have. I was getting rather worried._

Peter gasped, laying on the sand, every muscle and bone in his body aching. "Who are you?"

_A friend. You should know; you're mother and the other Heroes are in grave danger. _

"Then I need to save them. We need to save them; all of us."

_Yes. But you're not quite ready. The journey will be long, for before you can fight Lucien, you each must first at least equal the power of your parents. If you can surpass them, all the better._

"I don't think we'll ever surpass them." Peter said skeptically. "I mean… They're amazing. From what I've heard, at any rate."

_They are. They truly are; as all Heroes once were. However, it may be possible to surpass them, should you try._

"I think we can do that."

_Good. Your lives, and the lift of your parents, depend on it. Now… Rest, Little One. A long life is ahead of you._

--

Asineth opened her eyes and saw the wan, pre-morning dawn light. Sitting up and rubbing the sleep (or would it be unconsciousness?) from her eyes, she looked around.

Palicrovol lay sprawled a few feet away. The twins were half in the tide, and Peter lay in the sand farther away.

She managed to get up, but her head spun and her ankles seemed weak. Staggering over to the twins, she shook them.

"Wake up! Come on!" She muttered, and gasped at the sound of her voice. It was hoarse and quiet. How long had they been out?

The twins sat up in unison and looked around.

"What happened?" They asked.

"Last I remember, we were hit with that large, pointy boulder beam." Asineth answered, looking over as Palicrovol and Peter stirred.

"Oh, yes." Whisper said.

"The Shard." Briar whispered.

"Yeah." Asineth said with a shrug. "Okay, if that's what it's called."

"That's what it's called." The twins said forcefully in unison.

"Okay, what happened?" Palicrovol asked, looking around. "And where's Mum? And the rest of them."

"They were captured by Lucien." Peter said. They all stared at him.

"Eh?" The twins asked.

"They were captured. By Lucien." Peter repeated.

"How do you know that?" Asineth asked slowly.

"Theresa told me. She also said that we need to get strong, so we can save our parents."

They all stared at him. Asineth shrugged.

"I believe him." She said with finality.

"Well, of _course _you do." Briar snapped. "I have a better chance of sprouting wings and flying up your nose than you do thinking a cute boy is wrong about something." Asineth went bright red and took a threatening step towards Briar.

"Enough!" Palicrovol said loudly. "Frankly, I think he's a bit crazy-"

"Thanks…" Peter said sarcastically.

"But whether or not the fortune-telling, ageless, blind gypsy woman really _did _speak with him telepathically, he is right. We have to get strong and save our parents."

"You know, once, I went off to be a Hero like my mom and fight Hobbes in Rookridge," Peter said reminiscently. "It's didn't work out too well…"

"That doesn't matter!" Palicrovol said, grinning in spite of it. "We have to get strong."

"Which means that here is where we part ways." Whisper said dreamily. They blinked at her, even Briar. "Think about it. We must forge our own destinies. I find it's easier to make the decisions you want to make without someone breathing down your neck."

"That's true." Asineth said slowly.

"Then we will…" Palicrovol said sadly. "Though I was starting to really like you guys."

"Oh, we won't be apart for ever." Whisper said with a fond smile. "One day, and one day soon, we'll all return to one another. And it'll be a good day."

Smiling, she walked away, towards the docks.

"Well… Seeing as how the Creepy Twins didn't say anything about it, I think I'll stay here." Asineth smiled at the boys with unintended charm. "Please stop by if you can!"

Both boys nodded dumbly. She waved and went off.

Palicrovol and Peter looked at each other slowly.

"So… I guess it's time for us to say good-bye." Peter said. Palicrovol nodded, looking like a sad bunny. "Oh, don't give me tha-"

"I'M GONNA MISS YOU!!!" Palicrovol wailed, wrapping the much tinier Peter in a huge, bone-snapping hug.

"If you like me so much," Peter choked out. "Won't it give you a heart attack if you killed me?"

--

Asineth stood in front of the Bloodstone Mansion. The door was in shambles, as was most of the interior. She sighed and walked into the study, mentally tallying exactly how much it would cost to renovate the place. Running a hand through her hair as picked her way through the debris, she stopped.

In the dust and woodchips was a dark, circular object. Picking it up carefully, she winced as the edges pierced her skin. Her heart thumped wildly, but whether that was from dread or excitement, she couldn't tell.

Going over to the jewelry cases, which had been hidden well enough not to be found by the raiding soldiers, she picked a long, golden chain out of a mess of chains. Threading the chain through a small hoop in the edge, she put on the necklace. The strange object made for a rather unwieldy accessory, but she made a vow not to take it off until her father was back.

Fishing a pistol from her father's drawers upstairs, she twirled it with surprising dexterity, and grinned.

_Oh, this is going to be fun…_

--

The twins rowed a little row boat to the Bloodstone docks and got off, ignoring the wolf whistles and cheers coming from the unruly passersby.

"What should we do?" Whisper asked.

"There's no easy way to get to Father's tower." Briar answered.

"There's a cullis gate in Wraithmarsh." Whisper supplied. "It'll take us straight there, I think."

"Alright." Briar said. They headed up the steep incline towards the dreaded Wraithmarsh. Neither felt any particular apprehension, as they probably should have. They simply headed off, with one knowing, or at least having the faintest glimmer, of what lay in store of them all.

--

Palicrovol went up to the Bloodstone blacksmith and put a small bag of money, lent to him at the last minute by Asineth (with an outrageous interest rate that would have made her father very proud).

"I need a mace or a hammer. Either'll do." He said vaguely. "The best you got."

The blacksmith raised his eyebrow and hefted a large hammer up and slammed it onto the counter. The hammer was, in Palicrovol's eyes, gorgeous.

"That'll be 22,400 gold." The blacksmith said. Palicrovol blanched, but fished into the bag, praying to dark and light, Avo and Skorm, that Asineth had given him enough.

She had, and more. As Palicrovol walked away from the counter, cheerfully carrying his hammer and his travel fare, it didn't even occur to him exactly how much he owed Asineth…

--

Peter sat on the beach, forlorn. He had so many worries ahead.

For one thing, there was getting back to Bowerstone. He didn't relish the thought of going through Wraithmarsh without his mother, but the thought of going through both bandit and Blavarine territory without her seemed even worse. It was less picking the route and more picking the lesser of two evils.

And then there was, if and when he actually got back to Bowerstone, the horrible conversation he was going to have to have with his father. How was he going to explain that his mother had been captured by a hell-bent madman who really ought to be dead? Plus, there was the whole I-Told-You-So, but that probably wouldn't come up right then.

He had a sort of vague idea as to how he was going to get stronger. Do what his mother did. Fight things, do quests for people, learn spells and how to shoot better, getting tougher and stop being so… small. He sighed again, deeply.

This wasn't going to be easy…

**I won't really go into detail about the years ahead for them. But I think I'll write an average length chapter about something specific for each of the Mini-Heroes, plus one about the Spire and the Heroes, before going on with the story-line. Does that sound okay?**


	6. The Queen

**I promised I'd update twice. Didn't I promise I'd update twice. Shorter than I thought it'd be, but whatever. They should all be about this length, if not shorter, actually...**

_One year after the Heroes capture…_

Asineth tapped her fingers irritably. The ship rocked with the waves, and the candlelight flickered. Above her, her men sailed, their boots thumping loudly.

While some found the rocking of the ship sickening, she found it strangely soothing, like a cradle. Even now, it lulled her to sleep.

But she had to chart. Shaking her head angrily and gulping down a java potion, she tried to chart the easiest route to Bowerstone docks, without falling victim to the harsh winter storms. So far, she'd had no luck.

Sighing and glaring at the map on the desk before her, she sat up and stretched. As she settled back down, cries came from above, and a loud, urgent knock from the door.

"Come in."

Her first mate, Thunder, burst in.

"Ma'am!" He said sharply in his deep basso. "A cargo ship on starboard!"

Grinning and thanking Avo for some fun, she got up and straightened her hat, then dusted her coat.

"Ma'am… What are you doing?" Thunder asked, his voice thickly accented with Samarkand.

"It's only polite to look one's best when one is taking someone's ship, isn't it Thunder?" Asineth asked sweetly.

"We're _pirates_, Ma'am," Thunder said gravely. "We don't _do _polite." Asineth grinned.

"Well, maybe we'd have a better rap if we tried!" She said, her voice shaking with barely contained mirth. Thunder chuckled. His chuckle was, in Asineth's mind, like thunder itself.

Many of the crew didn't like her; she knew that. That's why she was _soooo _thankful that Thunder liked her. She assumed it was her fashion sense; not many hard-core pirates enjoyed taking orders from a 20 year old woman wearing blue and pink clothing.

Walking over to the starboard side, she squinted through the fog and saw the ship. Turning to Thunder, she smirked.

"How much do you wanna bet I can shoot the captain from here?" She asked. Thunder shook his head almost imperceptibly, but by the time she caught it, it was too late.

"This little girl thinks she's her father!" The bosun yelled angrily. "But she's not." Thunder glared furiously at the bosun, but a few of the others chirped up to agree.

Asineth's eyes narrowed dangerously. Her eyes locked with the bosun's, and it helped quite a bit that, even as a woman, she towered over him, a trait she got from Reaver.

Pulling out her pistol, she aimed for about a second and shot. The dim silhouette of the captain at the helm fell, and there was a splash and several screams.

Asineth then turned, and pointed the pistol right at the bosun. The man backed up several steps, and the night was quiet besides the urgent yelling from the ship several meters away.

There was a bang, and the bosun fell, clutching his thigh.

"When we make port tomorrow, you're leaving." Asineth said coolly. She turned to the crowd that had assembled. "Does anyone else have a problem?"

There were several frantic nods. Asineth nodded, then yelled, "Come on! Let's take that ship!" The crew rushed into action, while a couple of others dragged the moaning former bosun to the bunks.

"Well done, Ma'am." Thunder rumbled. Asineth smiled.

"Yes. I suppose I am different from my father. He would have probably shot the bosun dead."

"True, Ma'am." Thunder assented. As the ship approached the cargo vessel, Asineth saw the vague outline of the Tattered Spire. Her fingers clenched, her nail bit into her palms.

_One day… One day I'll get you out of there, Father. _Her hand went to the necklace around her neck, which had become as fixed on her person as her arm. _You can count on it._

**Thunder is THUNDER. I picture THE Thunder. Whisper's Thunder. Should I bring him back later? Or should he die in the time lapse?**


	7. The Monk

**You know what. I think I might post twice again today. The twins or Peter? I'm thinking the twins.**

**Gamerof1458: Yeah, I think she's already at least on par with Reaver. Or more, really. XD I actually didn't notice. **

**MigetX: ^ ^ You're right. I think I'll make Thunder travel with them. Maybe.... Nah, if I do do that, I want it to be a surprise. Thanks! I wish I could say that I worked hard on them, but.... I didn't.... ;; Oh, have you seen Fringe? It's very good. It's on Fox.**

**Emma: Yay! Yeah, Asineth's my favorite too. Hey, do you have the Fable II cheat book? (This goes for everyone) You know that picture in the back on the page with the dog collars? The picture of the woman wearing the pink and blue Hot Date clothes with the double belted coat and the highway man hat and gloves? That's what Asineth wears. And the reason I know each and every clothing item is because I've been running around, trying to find them all... Do you know where you can get Highway Man gloves before you finish the Crucible?**

_Three years after the Heroes capture…_

_Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya. _

Pelicrovol sat in the Northern Temple in Hook Coast, meditating. He sat in a stone gazebo that was covered in ivy vines, on the cracked stone in the center of it, cross-legged with his hands on his knees, palms up, eyes closed.

_Nonviolence is the answer. Violence will not solve my problems…_

_But the next time I see that psychotic wraith of a bastard, I swear, I'll-_

"Hey, Pelicrovol! Spar with me!" Gregor said, running up. Pelicrovol winced.

"I'm meditating." He said, keeping his eyes closed and his voice quiet and in a monotone.

"Well, Brother Mori said that sparing is a type of meditation." Gregor pointed out. Pelicrovol twitched.

"I'd like to meditate in the…. Quiet fashion." He said calmly.

"Oh, come OOOOOONNNNN!" Gregor wailed, grabbing the back of Pelicrovol's shirt and tugging.

Pelicrovol roared and spun around, kicking Gregor in the jaw. The heavier young man flew into the air and collided with a tree.

"Owww, what was that for?" Gregor groaned, heaving himself up with difficulty.

"You wanted to spar? There you go!" Pelicrovol snapped, sitting back down and trying to concentrate.

"You're a-" Gregor started to yell, but then a quiet voice said, "This is not a place for spar, Brother Gregor."

The two younger boys turned and saw Father Beedle walk up, wearing the blue garb of a high priest. He smiled at the uncomfortable looks on the younger men's faces. "Pelicrovol, your father wants to see you at the main building."

Pelicrovol groaned and got up, shared a look of mutual annoyance with Gregor, and went down the beaten path to the main temple.

The temple was very much like the Temple of Light. Made of clean, white marble with a huge stone mosaic courtyard. There were beautiful fountains and trees. And despite the sparring monks, both male and female, there was an underlying peace in it all.

There was so much damn peace it made Pelicrovol want to vomit.

He entered the large, circular structure, and saw his father waiting. His father was one of the main priests, and stood next to the head priest, looking nervous.

"Hello, Brother Pelicrovol." Head Priest Abram said gravely. "We have a favor to ask of you."

"Yes?" Pelicrovol asked, interested.

"The Temple of Light, which is in Oakfield-"

"I'm aware of this." Pelicrovol said seriously. The corners of his father's mouth twitched, but the Priest Abram was not amused.

"They have need of a guardian for their ritual."

"Hey, my mum did the ritual!" Pelicrovol said. His father nodded, looking warmly reminiscent.

"Yes. Now, as you are the strongest here, you have volunteered to go to the Temple of Light to escort their strongest monk through the cavern. Apparently, the last trip didn't go well, due to Hollow Men, and so they have made an agreement with us to send one of our best as their new escort." Priest Abram continued coolly.

"Aw," Pelicrovol said, looking touched. "I'm one of your best?" His father pressed his fingers to his lips.

"Don't push it." Priest Abram said irritably.

"Hey, you're the one who said it." Pelicrovol said with a grin. "Unless you're just doing this to get me out of here."

"That is part of it." Priest Abram said seriously. Pelicrovol's father's shoulders began to shake. "I think you should leave very soon. The ritual is in a month, and Oakfield is far."

"Yeah, you _are _doing this to make me leave…" Pelicrovol said slowly. His father choked. Priest Abram turned to glare at him.

"Do you need a glass of water?" He asked, his tone like broken glass in an ice bucket.

"Oh, I think I do!" He laughed. "Son? Come with me?" He dragged his son out of the temple.

"You okay?" Pelicrovol asked his father, amused.

"Fine," his father answered, red in the face. "Son, if you're going to agree to this, I want you to be very careful. Your mother told me about when she went in this cave, and it sounds… rather dangerous. I already lost your mother, Son, I don't want to loose you too…" His father looked like he was about to cry.

"Dad," Pelicrovol said seriously, taking his father's hand. "Don't worry. I'll get Mom back, you can count on it. I'll make it through the ritual, and I'll save Mom."

_Believe me…_

**Peter or the twins? Which is next?**


	8. The Two Who Are One

**Sorry Sarah... This was the best I could come up with... **

**MigetX: Ah. Thanks. Still haven't found the gloves; they're the only missing piece of the puzzle! DX But I shall find them!**

**SarahHyan: I actually like Hammer. I can't say much about Garth, and while Reaver is... friggen hilarious, my sister and I went through the latter part of the game wondering if we could kill him. My mom actually turned safety off and tried! XDDD**

**I kinda feel bad for her, because my dad makes fun of how big she is, and I don't consider myself a cookie cutter girl myself. So I stick up for her when my dad calls her "Lard Butt", or something... Plus, I agree with her on the subject of religion.**

**Yeah... So, I think I'll post the last Mini-Hero story tonight. Plus the Heroes, if I feel like it. **

_Two and a half years after the Heroes capture…_

Whisper and Briar stood across from each other on the balcony of Garth's Tower. The full moon was intensely bright, and below, Lucien's men approached. They positioned their hands about a foot apart and concentrated.

An orb of electricity formed between their hands. They focused, and it grew in size and intensity.

Their eyes opened in unison, and they threw it at the approaching soldiers. There was a flash of light as it collided with the group. There were several screams, and when the light faded, there lay only a few charred skeletons.

"They get weaker each time," Briar said sadly.

"Yes; it appears as if Lucien continues to underestimate us," Whisper replied.

"Funny, considering we've beaten each group of men he's sent in about six seconds," Briar muttered.

"Well, we shouldn't complain. It's either disappointment, or a raid."

"A raid would be very interesting…" Briar said wistfully.

"Yes. It would." Then they both beamed and grabbed the other's hands.

"We're awesome!" They chirped happily in unison.

"I do believe it's time for bed." Whisper said.

"Who will journey to Nightmare Hollow tonight?" Briar asked.

"I will. You got to do it last night."

"Oh, fine. I'll sleep the normal bed." Briar made a face. "Yuck. Normalcy." Whisper laughed.

"Sister, what in the world makes you think any of this is normal?" Whisper laughed.

"Well… Normalcy to_ us_ at any rate…" Briar muttered.

Briar blew out the candles as Whisper climbed the ladder to the loft where the Nightmare Hollow bed was. She flopped onto the bed and sighed.

"We're almost good enough, Father," she whispered. "Not much longer now. We'll get you out soon, Briar and I."

_I promise…_

**So, so short. I'm sorry. **


	9. The Heir

**Hmm. Took me a bit longer than usual. But I'll post later. Happy New Years Eve! =)**

**Gamerof1458: They were just using Shock that time. They can do all the spells. Oh, and thanks! I know! I got that from a Zits comic. The mom was like, "Nonviolence is the answer... but I swear, sometimes I wanna take that boy over my knee and..." XDD**

**SarahHyan: She's my favorite Hero, which means I should probably let her have more dialogue.... Oh well. Hey, didn't Palicrovol call Asineth Asi? Or was that a first draft? **

**Piraticly-Insane: Thanks! It ticks me off when authors take forever to update, so I try and update quickly!**

**Oh, and as a public announcement... I found the Highwayman Gloves! I was in the Crucible and checked the first trader in the Trader Room, and there it was! (giddy) Yay! So, my outfit is complete. Thigh Boots, Corset (dying butcher pick), Double belted jacket (secondary dyed pink), Hot pants (dyed blue, if they weren't blue already), Highwayman hat (primary dyed blue, secondary dyed pink) and, finally, Highwayman gloves, primary dyed blue, secondary dyed pink! My costume is complete! I'm scary and attractive! And on a seperate note, my little brother went crazy and killed most of the residents on Bowerstone! D Gotta love my 9 year old brother, huh? He was disappointed that you couldn't kill kids...**

_Three years after the Heroes capture…_

Peter's cleaver sliced cleanly through the White Balvarine; through flesh and bone. It fell with an inhuman wail, and the announcer over the intercom roared, "This is truly an amazing slaughter we have today, folks! And another perfect round on the part of our plucky new contestant! Let's hope he keeps it up in the Last Round!"

Peter smiled at the encouraging roar from the crowd and picked up the bag of money. It was a good amount, 2000 gold. Plus the Golden Touch augment on his cleaver. He'd make a fortune with this. Which he really needed. For such a well-known Hero, for one that was beloved and applauded by all… he was pretty broke by this point.

He walked cautiously into the final room. He knew what was coming, so as he approached the center, where the ground began to break and rumble, he got ready to cast Blades.

The huge Rock Troll burst out of the ground with a roar. As Peter got the Blades ready, the troll slammed its fist into the ground, and Peter was thrown away into the wall. The crowd made sympathetic noises as the commentators said, "Ohh, he'll feel that in the morning! And here it is! Earth's abomination!"

"Sock puppets?"

"Sock puppets? No! Wha-? No! It's the Rock Troll!"

Peter was stunned for a moment, but forced himself up. As the troll roared again, one of the nerve tendrils on it's neck became exposed. Peter drew his pistol, cocked it, and shot, all in one motion.

The troll roared in pain, and picked up a chunk of the floor. As it threw it, a small horde of Hobbes appeared, and began slicing at him. Growling in irritation, Peter took his cleaver out, dodged the rock, and filleted the Hobbes.

The troll slammed its fist into the ground again, and Peter managed to dodge it. The crowd was going wild, riled up from the quick work Peter'd made of the Hobbes.

Again, the nerve tendril was exposed, Peter took out his pistol and shot it. The troll roared and threw more rocks, which Peter managed to dodge. More Hobbes appeared, and Peter sliced them up easily.

Then, as a grand finale, Peter wound up and pitched a huge fireball at the final tendril. The Rock Troll moaned, and the crowd went wild.

"Perfect Round! I can't believe it! He beat your record, Mad Dog!"

Peter grinned and picked up the heavy purse of coins. He bowed to the cheering crowd and went into the cullis gate, back to Westcliff.

He went down the stairs, where Mad Dog and Whatshisface stood.

"Well…" Mad Dog said reluctantly. "Here." He handed Peter a very nice looking Cleaver. Peter took it, and swung it a couple of times. It made a refreshing swishing sound. "If you sell it, I'll kill you myself." Mad Dog warned. Peter laughed.

As he walked towards the cheering crowd, he grinned, his eyes bright with excitement. He looked around, and his eyes fell on the ominous Spire. His teeth clenched, and his grip tightened on the Chopper.

_One step closer… Just a bit more._


	10. The Heroes

**Okay, in the next chapter (Which may or may not be posted later today), the plot goes on.**

**Gamerof1458: I HATE that thing so much! Recently, I was on a roll! Every single round perfect! And then.... Stupid Hobbes popped up and ruined everything... DX**

**SarahHyan: Oh, they're friendly. They just tease each other. I'm playing with the idea of a romance between them, but it'd probably be better to leave them single. Except for one thing... But that's later.**

**Actually, the names Asineth and Palicrovol come from one of my favorite fantasy books. It's by Orson Scott Card, and it's pretty obscure. It's called Hart's Hope, and it's one of the best I've ever read. I figured that it was worth a reference.**

_Present day…_

Ten years… Sparrow had lost a decade to the Spire many years before. Now she'd lost yet another decade to it. Of course, the last decade hadn't been nearly as boring as this one.

Apparently, there were kinks in the Spire that Lucien had to fix, because the Heroes (and Theresa) had been sitting in the Spire cells for years. At first, the Heroes had tried to bust out of the cells, but the collars sent courses of pain through them. After a few days, they stopped trying.

And so, the rest of the years were spent in quiet boredom. Reaver borrowed an old rubber ball from Sparrow and threw it against the wall, creating a constant _Thump… Thump… Thump…_

"Reaver…" Hammer snarled. "How many times have we asked you to stop doing that?"

"I don't keep count on things I don't care about." Reaver retorted calmly, continuing to throw the ball.

"Reaver, would you please stop that?" Sparrow asked exhaustedly.

"Of course." Reaver said with an evil smirk at Hammer. The stocky woman glared fiercely at the man, but said nothing.

"Thank you." Sparrow said with a sigh. "Hey, Garth? How long will it take for you to get these collars off?"

"Yes, I'd like to know that as well!" Reaver said. "I don't think a collar is befitting for someone like me!"

"Someone who's pure evil?" Hammer snapped. "I think it fits you perfectly." Reaver shot her a look of pure loathing, while Garth chuckled.

"I don't know, Sparrow." He said, ignoring the two bickering Heroes expertly. "These versions are much more perfected than the last ones. It could take several more years-"

"I demand you get this off me right now!" Reaver snapped. Garth's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Don't push it, Reaver," he said darkly. "I may not have enough Will to break these, but I certainly have enough to turn you into a smoking cinder." Reaver blanched, and Hammer and Sparrow grinned.

"Go Garth!" Hammer chirped. Sparrow whistled.

Just then, Lucien's men barged in. They opened the cells and dragged the Heroes out. Theresa was handled much more gently.

They were dragged (Except in Theresa's case, where a better word would be escorted) to a side chamber. It reminded Sparrow sickeningly of Lucien's study in Castle Fairfax, except for, instead of the platform with the Guild Seal on it, there was a small pond of murky water.

Lucien looked up from his writings and smirked. "Hello, Heroes. It's time to make sure everything will go smoothly."

"What is that, Lucien?" Garth asked quietly, nodding towards the pond.

"Oh, that? Nothing special." Lucien said with a dreadful smile. "Just an artifact that… produces some interesting images and some marvelous prophecies. It is how we'll see if everything will go according to plan." The room tensed as the guards left and Lucien went over to the pond. "Water from Wraithmarsh." Lucien explained. "Oakvale's Hatred, it's called." Then, he raised his hands above the water and said something in a strange, spidery language. Sparrow glanced at Garth questioningly, and received a small shake of his head, which meant either 'I don't know' or 'I can't say here'. Sparrow suspected the latter.

Lucien stopped chanting, and there was a few moments of tense silence. Then, the air shattered with anguished, inhuman cries, and three pale, rotted arms shot from the water, their hands clawing at the air. Then they slammed onto the marble floor, pawing wetly. Lucien stepped back calmly, but the sight horrified the Heroes, and Theresa. Garth took a sharp step back; Hammer looked as though she was about to cry, and Sparrow's hand flew to her mouth. Reaver stared, trembling at the arms, and Theresa turned away, biting her lip. It was one of the few times Sparrow had seen her perturbed. She hoped she'd never see it again.

The hands jerked, then began to scribble something in the water on the marble.

_Pilgrim,_ one wrote.

_Mage, _wrote another.

_Thief, _wrote the last.

_Pilgrim Mage Thief_

_Monk Sisters Queen_

_Must Must Must_

_Bring Part Bring_

_Light Ways Deliverance_

Then they jerked again, then plunged back into the water, then shot back out, as if something was trying to drag them back into the water. Then they wrote one last thing on the floor.

_Let Us Die_

They finally plunged back into the water. Lucien nodded slowly.

Hammer vomited, and Sparrow patted her friend on the back, looking a bit green herself. Reaver trembled violently, and Garth's jaw set.

Theresa said softly, "Pilgrim monk must bring light. Mage sisters must part ways. Thief queen must bring deliverance." She didn't repeat the final plea, but everyone had seen it. Let us die.

"So… Your children will get in my way." Lucien said quietly. "Show me where they are." The water shimmered blue, and then showed Bloodstone Mansion. A beautiful, tall woman with blonde hair and pink and blue clothing stood in front of it, along with a hulking, dark-skinned man in armor.

"_The Queen…" _The thin voices of the trapped Oakvale souls whispered.

The scene changed. A tall, strong, handsome man with red hair and a large, high quality hammer lounged in Bloodstone's pub. Women made goo-goo eyes at him, while he honestly didn't seem to notice. He drank a huge gulp of beer and grinned winningly at one of the girls, who blushed and giggled.

"_The Monk…" _The voices said, almost wryly.

Now it went to Wraithmarsh. The cullis gate glowed, and two identical, beautiful women materialized. Their skin glowed blue with Will scars. They stepped from the platform and walked purposefully in the direction of Bloodstone.

"_The Two Who Are One…" _They whispered.

The scene changed to Wraithmarsh road in Bloodstone. A man of average height and build, with thick brown hair in a ponytail and bright blue eyes flicked with gold. He walked down the road, looking around at the strange stone buildings.

"_The Heir…" _They said with profound respect. Then the water went dark.

"Bloodstone." Lucien said softly. "They're in Bloodstone."

**The prophecy of Oakvale's Hatred looked better on the original document. The words were aligned in columns. Sorry.**


	11. Resurrection Vials and the Dark Seal

**OMGFINALLY.**

**I'm seriously sorry this took so long. My god... MONTHS. **

**I feel bad... O_O**

**Piraticaly-Insane: -hug- Missed you. Thanks; I'll SOOO try and be faster next time. I started on this about 49 times in the last, what? Two months? And this is the first time it got finished.**

**Okay, GorimJr. isn't REALLY me. My mom (occasionally) reviews, and she accidentally reviewed with mine. I already replied to her review with words tinged with sarcasm and exasperation.**

**SarahHyan: NO! Keep reviewing! I LOVE it! I love it when people review every chapter; it gives me something to look forward to. "I wonder what he'll say", "I wonder if she likes it", that kind of thing. **

**Hmm... I'll not say, though you'll be surprised, my dear Sarah. (feels like she doesn't have the right to call you that, since it took her so long to update)**

**Peter: -shock- But I'm the main character!**

**Others: What are we; chopped liver?**

**Ammy-San: Thank you! Yes, Palicrovol is Hammer's son, and, in my head, the vow of chastity would be a personal choice. Yeah, I suppose I wrote Reaver that way because... I wanted to? XD He's even more of a slight softie in this chap. I was iffy about it, but I'd imagine that anyone would be shaken or worried at this point.**

**Neo-Kira: Thank you! I'll answer what I can!**

**1: No, she's normal. She's about 28 at this point.**

**2: *squirms* No, I'm sorry. Well... there might be. But probably not. Another Lucien thing. Maybe.... Well, I'll keep that under my hat.**

**3: Hmm. I'll try! I didn't have one in mind, but now that you mention it, I could in the coming chaps, since they concern Oakvale (all I'm saying).  
**

The Heroes sat in their cells afterward, stunned into silence by what they'd seen. While they were glad their children were alive, the sight of the rotted arms still haunted them.

"Garth…" Sparrow said softly. "What is Oakvale's Hatred?" Garth sighed, glanced at Reaver, and then spoke.

"Oakvale, as you know, was once a peaceful town. But it was home to many of Heroes Blood. After it's destruction, the water flowed with that powerful blood, and the bodies that lurked under the surface… did not quite die, and gained the power of that blood. Became prophetic. They bring words of death and war, of evil and sin. That is all they can see." He looked very sad. "It is a horrible, evil thing to wake them." Sparrow glanced at Reaver.

The man was very pale, and oddly quiet. He sat in the corner of his cell, his back to the cell bars and the other Heroes, trembling. Sparrow scooted over and, awkwardly, reached over and touched Reaver's shoulder comfortingly.

The man stiffened, almost seemed to move away, then sighed and simply leaned back.

"I wonder if Asi's okay…" He muttered.

"I'm sure she is." Sparrow said reassuringly.

"She's a tough cookie." Hammer put in. Reaver smiled slightly.

"Yes. They're all very strong." He said. The proud parents nodded, thinking about the images of the children they didn't get the chance to watch grow. "But… I wonder…" Reaver said, looking at the ground. "If they're so strong, once they find an obstacle they can't overcome… Will they be able to go on?"

--

Asineth stood in front of the elegant house, watching as the four bedraggled people walked up the road.

Palicrovol was taller, more muscular, with his red hair pulled back with a bandanna and his arm gleefully punching Peter's gently, though obviously still hard.

Peter. He was taller, leaner, seemed somehow wilder, with his long brown hair (prematurely streaked with gray) and gangly features. He rubbed his arm where Palicrovol hit it and kicked the taller man in the leg.

The twins wore robes, one of blue, the other of red. They both laughed. Both were still beautiful, in that same exotic way. Asineth huffed. They could have at least had the decency to not age well.

Thunder walked up to stand beside her.

"Are those your friends?"

"Yes. And they aren't ugly." She pouted. Thunder boomed out a laugh.

"No. They're not." He chuckled.

The five friends hugged it out, and then Asineth introduced them to her first mate. Palicrovol and Thunder shook hands in a particularly manly fashion, while the considerably smaller Peter just shook normally. Briar sized him up, and then shrugged. But the moment between Whisper and Thunder was very curious.

She blushed furiously, and avoided his eyes, stammering out a hello. Thunder blushed slightly, and muttered a reply. The air sort of… crackled. There was a moment of silence.

"Uh, yeah, so… What're we doing?" Asineth asked loudly, breaking the awkward spell. Peter cleared his throat.

"Well, I was thinking that we stock up on potions and such, then take a ship to Westcliff and find a ship from there." He answered readily.

"Ah, a man with a plan." Asineth said coyly. Peter blushed slightly. "I like it! Let's go; I know the potion store owner, we'll get good deals!" Asi rushed off, running at full speed down the street.

The companions shrugged and walked after her.

"So…" Palicrovol said slowly. "What's Asi been doing since we saw her last?"

"She is the Queen of Pirates." Thunder answered boomingly.

"Cool. A Queen." Peter muttered. "I'm the champion of the Crucible."

"Oh right. I heard about that." Palicrovol said. "Do you still have any of that money? I'm kinda hungry." Peter shot a glance at him, a bit disgusted, then rummaged in his pack, pulling out a chuck of dried beef, and threw it at Palicrovol.

The young man scarfed it down as they went down the street, much to the twins' disgust. They met Asineth outside of a large building. She flounced in.

"Morning, Mordoc!" She chirped. "Me and my friends are going off on a little adventure! We need some potions."

"Of course you do." The fat man said grimly. Then he grinned a crooked grin. "And I've got just the thing for you. Mind you don't use it too quick though."

"Scouts honor." Asineth said, putting her pink-gloved hand over her heart. Mordoc smirked, and then went into the back.

The three giant men, two very tall and muscular, one very tall and lanky, hit their hands on the low doorway, then on the low ceiling.

"Ow…" Peter muttered, bending over and rubbing his head. Asineth snickered.

"Be prepared. People here are awful short." Peter rolled his eyes.

Mordoc returned, carefully carrying a small object covered in cloth.

"Just got this in," he said seriously. "Not many of these around anymore." The companions leaned forward as he unwrapped it.

In his hands was a tiny golden vial, filled with a golden liquid. It sparked in the wane, dusty sunlight like a gem.

"What is it?" Palicrovol asked, not impressed.

"It's a Resurrection Vial!" Mordoc snapped. "You dumb clod!" Palicrovol looked a bit hurt. "It brings back anyone who dies, regardless of what's happened to them!"

"Oooo, that's sounds amazing!" Asineth said. Peter raised his eyebrows, Thunder nodded, and the twins looked besotted. "How much?"

"For you?" Mordoc asked with a smirk, showing teeth that were almost green. "1,500 gold."

"Whoa!" Peter said. "How much are health potions?"

"500." Mordoc said promptly. "Take it or leave it." Peter was horrified.

"That's insane! I can understand the vial, but the health potions are insanely overpriced!"

"Then don't buy any." Mordoc said darkly. Asineth bit her lip.

"Give me that Resurrection Vial for half off, and I'll owe you a very large favor." Asineth said. She thought about it, and then smiled. "When I get back, I'll bring two loads of your potions for free."

Mordoc's eyebrows shot up. "That's generous."

"I _really _want that."

"I can tell. Fine. Deal."

--

The companions walked out of the potions shop, very cheerful. The prices had been haggled down to amazingly low prices, due to Asineth's wide range of services. They made their way to the docks.

"Hey… Wait a minute…" Peter muttered. "Why can't we take your ship, Asineth?"

They all turned to Asineth, who smiled cheerfully. "Because my prices are double that of the average captain."

They walked very quickly to the dock after that.

Thunder approached the captain and began to haggle, something that Peter and Palicrovol had NEVER thought of doing.

"Think of all the money we could have saved…" Palicrovol said wistfully.

"Yeah…" Peter sighed.

"All the beer I could of drank…"

"Yea- Wait, what?"

Whisper watched Thunder as he talked with the captain heatedly. Asineth noticed, and smiled.

"Hey, Whisper? Do you… Like Thunder?" She asked. Whisper's dusky complextion went red.

Briar scowled, and was about to say something, when Asineth suddenly gasped, her hand flying to her pendant.

"Asi, what's wrong?" Peter asked sharply. Thunder turned.

"Something's wrong… My necklace keeps pulsing." Asineth looked at the dark, eerie thing. "Like it's alive or trying to get my attention…"

--

In the cells, the silence was broken by Reaver's scream.

"What's wrong?!" Hammer asked in horror. Reaver clutched his head, gritting his teeth in pain. "Whoa…" It looked like he was getting older!

Theresa sighed.

"Oh dear… The time of the Dark Seal has arrived."

**Abrupt, but I wrote this in computer class.**


	12. Sacrifice and Guilt

**-Sigh- Come back, dear reviewers!**

Asineth ran towards the murky, foggy Wraithmarsh, her lungs on fire, her legs already aching.

_What is it?_

"_That's the Dark Seal!"_

_What does it do?_

"_It has to be returned to the Shadow Court in Wraithmarsh, Asi. Or else something bad happens to Reaver. Dunno what though…"_

_Then…_

"_Wait! Asi!"_

Peter, the twins, Palicrovol and Thunder all ran after her.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Peter called after her.

"Dad can't die!" Asineth yelled, splashing through the marsh water. She stopped, looking about wildly. "Where's the Shadow Court?" She demanded, whirling on Peter. The man took a sharp step back.

"I don't know! Mom never said!" He stammered. Asineth scowled.

"Guys, I don't really want to be here…" Palicrovol said slowly. "Banshees are bound to show up. And Hollow Men."

"He's right, Asineth," Peter said slowly.

"I can't just let my father die!" Asineth snapped. "What do you suppose we do? Just go on to the Spire? What about my father? Will we pick his bones off the floor?"

"Well, him dying would certainly put a damper on Lucien's plans." Briar pointed out unkindly. Asineth glared at her furiously.

"Briar!" Whisper said, horrified. "That's a horrible thing to say!"

"But true." Briar said. "It would ruin everything for the old bugger." Asineth glowered at the colder twin, who stared, unperturbed, back at her.

Peter looked from one woman to the other and sighed.

"Fine. Give the Dark Seal to me, I suppose." He said grudgingly. The others stared at him in shock as he held out his hand to Asineth.

The blonde stared at him, hesitating. Peter sighed, and snatched the Dark Seal off of her neck.

"If I can, I'll bring it back for you, okay?" He said, smiling. Then he went off in search of the Shadow Court.

--

Reaver clutched his head in pain. He should be drinking wine right now; that's what he always did during this time. But there was no wine; there were no "friends with benefits", and no sacrifice. The Judges would come, he would… Die? Get very, very old? He actually wasn't quite sure. The air of the Shadow Court when they said they'd come after him if the bargain was broken implied death, but then, who knew?

He gritted his teeth as the pounding in his head grew louder and more painful. _Damn…_ He shouldn't be here. He should be in his coastal paradise. He should be tricking Sparrow into giving her youth away. He should be do anything but this. Sitting in a cold, irritating cell with two annoying people, and Sparrow, with a pounding headache and the ability to actually SEE the age spots form on his hands.

"Reaver, your hair's getting grey," Hammer said spitefully. His eyes went wide. _Oh __**no!**_

"It doesn't look that bad." Sparrow said kindly. "A bit distinguished. Like Garth." Reaver looked at Garth's snow-white hair and groaned.

"That isn't the point!" He wailed. "If the Shadow Court comes after me, I won't just become old! I'll die!"

"That would ruin Lucien's plans nicely." Garth said thoughtfully. Reaver glared at him indignantly.

"Garth, that's rude," Sparrow chided. The older man chuckled.

"Excuse me." He said, amused. Reaver groaned again, banging his hand against the wall, as if that was going to stop his headache.

"I need some wine…" He sighed.

"Sorry, no wine here." Hammer said, looking a bit concerned. Reaver held his hand in his hands.

"Oh, thanks bunches for dragging me into this lunacy _again, _Sparrow. I really can't thank you enough." He snarled. Sparrow sighed.

"Hey, don't blame her!" Hammer snapped. "It's your own fault!"

"Oh, it's _my _fault that I'm trapped in this Avo-forsaken Spire!" Reaver snapped. They blinked in confusion. Avo? "It's _my _fault, is it?"

"No." Hammer snapped. "It's your fault that you've got that headache, and it's your fault that you're in this whole Shadow Court predicament." Reaver stared blankly at her.

"Don't talk about things you don't understand, young lady." He said quietly.

"Oh, I understand completely!" Hammer snapped. "You sacrifice everything, kill everyone who cares about you, and who you presumably care about, so you can be young and live your empty little life."

"I'm not in the mood for this discussion," Reaver said softly, his voice quaking with barely suppressed rage. "So shut. Up."

"Reaver…" Sparrow said warningly.

"_She's _the one who's trying to get me to snap!" The man growled.

"Hammer, I think I've made your point." Garth said. Hammer and Reaver glared at each other with twin looks of rage and loathing, and the room descended into an angry, worried, guilty silence.

--

Peter walked through the broken down building of the Shadow Court, beginning to regret his decision. He didn't even _like _Reaver. Why should he give up his youth and live for him?

Asineth, of course. He'd much rather give his life for Reaver than let Asineth give her life for him.

He picked his way through the debris that was scattered across the stone floor, and walked through the corridor to a huge room. There was a platform, over a seemingly bottomless pit. And on the other side of the pit was a brightly lit platform.

On the platform was three large, golden thrones, decorated by bones and scythes. The middle was larger than the other two. The silence was heavy and dark.

Then, three large, thin, shadowy figures appeared, each in front of a throne.

The middle one was larger, and it spoke first.

"_Welcome," _it said, with a voice that seemed to come from the deepest, darkest pit.

"_Welcome,"_ said the second.

"_Welcome_," said the third.

"_You bear the Dark Seal," _the first shadow said. _"You shall give up your youth and beauty, so that the King of Thieves shall retain his."_

"_I know." _Peter said. The first shadow nodded.

"_So it shall be." _It said. Peter doubled over suddenly, pain wracking through his body suddenly. His heart stuttered, then pounded suddenly, too loud. A thick, black fog surrounded him. When it dissipated, Peter looked at his hands. They were speckled with age spots. His hair was no longer simply streaked with gray, it _was_ gray. He felt no different, but he certainly looked different.

_Let's hope it's worth it…_

_--_

Reaver gasped. His headache was gone. He looked at his hands. They were back to being slender and young.

He grinned, then blinked in confusion. Who was the sacrifice?

He frowned in confusion, and even some concern.

Then he scowled. What did he care? He was young again. Or still. What does it matter who was sacrificed? It never mattered before.

He looked at Sparrow and the two other Heroes, all of which were fast asleep. He sighed, leaning his head back, letting it hit the wall with a soft thud.

"You're all rubbing off on me," he said quietly. "And I don't like it."

As he settled down to sleep, Theresa, unbeknownst to him, smiled slightly in amusement.


	13. Heroes

**-sigh- Come back to me, reviewers! -sniffle-**

The next morning, in the Spire, Hammer and Garth woke with a bit of fear-induced excitement.

"What's it gonna be?" Hammer asked, her eyes closed. "Will he be bones? Dust? Ashes? Just gone?"

"How about neither?" Garth asked, his voice a mix of intellectual disappointment, relief, and amusement.

Hammer sat up, and her jaw dropped at the sight of Reaver and Sparrow playing catch will the rubber ball, which they did occasionally do, if Reaver was very bored and Sparrow felt like it.

"You're not insanely old!" Hammer snapped. "Or ash! Or dust! Or-!"

"Bones? Or just gone?" Reaver spoke over her calmly. "No, I'm not. So sorry to disappoint you."

"No, I'm not disappointed or anything!" Hammer said quickly. "In fact, I'm a bit relieved." Reaver glanced over at her questioningly. "Just that I was a bit curious to see what was going to happen."

"Oh? You've got some macabre curiosities, Miss Hammer," Reaver said flippantly, chucking the ball back at Sparrow.

"I wonder who the sacrifice was…" Garth muttered.

"Who cares?" Reaver said, his uninterested tone belying the fact that the same question was going through his mind.

"Well, you see, some people have souls," Sparrow teased playfully. "And hearts."

"Turns out, you don't need those!" Reaver retorted with a smirk, throwing the ball back with more force.

_But still… That smarts…_

"That doesn't mean you have to point that out, though," he said resentfully.

"I'm sorry," Sparrow said sincerely, tossing the ball back.

"Apology accepted, my dear," Reaver said, tossing it back.

_Soulless… heartless… Damn, these people are rubbing off on me. That shouldn't piss me off. That shouldn't phase me at all. I should be able to laugh it off. _Reaver sighed heavily as he chucked it at Hammer, who happily threw it at Garth, making a circle between the four of them.

--

"Whoa! You're old!" Palicrovol snapped, pointing wildly at the young man turned old man.

"And I was worried you were going to be insulting." Peter said wryly. Whisper walked up and touched his withered cheek.

"Don't worry. You're still very handsome." She said softly with a smile. Peter smiled.

"That wasn't really what I was worrying about, Whisper. But thank you." He said.

"Alright everyone," Asineth said, staring at Peter. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's not that big of a deal," Peter said, waving her off. Asineth looked skeptical, but let it go.

"Alright. Okay, let's go. I know a captain who can get us to Westcliff, and may get us to the Spire, if we grease her palm enough."

"I have no money." Peter said promptly.

"We never really needed money." The twins said together.

"The Temples provided me with food and stuff. I never needed any." Palicrovol said. Thunder shrugged helplessly. Asineth sighed in irritation.

"Fine. I'll take care of it." She said. They all looked at her gratefully.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Peter gasped, reaching into his pocket. He took out the Dark Seal, still connected to the golden chain, and handed it to Asineth. "Here."

Asineth smiled and took it.

"Thank you, Peter." She said softly.

--

The captain of the Narcissus studied the group before her coolly, pushing her long blonde hair of her face.

"I can take you to Westcliff, Asineth." She said, her voice surprisingly feminine. "But it's gonna cost you. I was going to Samarkand. Going to Westcliff puts a big old monkey wrench in my plans."

"Sorry, Ruby." Asineth said. "But we have to get there. Fast. Think you can manage that?" Ruby smirked and pushed her red and green hat up. For a sharp, shocking moment, her pose and smirk reminded the companions seriously of Reaver.

"Don't insult me," she said. "I can get you there by tomorrow."

--

Lucien smiled slightly as the Heroes were dragged in.

"Hello, my dear guests," he said, grinning. "It's time we get started."

The guards placed the Three on their respective places on the pedestal, while a couple of other guards held Sparrow back.

"Oh, there will be no need for that," Lucien said dismissively. The guards hesitated, then let Sparrow go.

She lunged at the deranged man within seconds, ready to leap to her death to stop him if need be. But then the collar around her neck crackled with a blood-red energy. The Three watched in helpless horror as Sparrow fell to the ground, screaming endlessly.

After an agonizing minute, it was over. Sparrow lay on the ground, helpless and retching.

Theresa pensively watched as the woman fell, then closed her eyes, concentrating.

The pedestal of Will glowed, and electricity shot out, grabbing Garth. He fell to his knees, biting back screams.

When it stopped, he gasped for air as Lucien turned to Reaver, then to Hammer, enraged.

"What happened?!" He screamed at the two shocked people. "What did you do!? Tell me!"

"They did nothing." Theresa spoke up. "It was me." The five others in the room stared at the old, blind gypsy in shock. She smiled her small, almost mocking smile and said, softly, "Garth is no longer the Hero of Will."


	14. The Narcissus

**Gamerof1458: I KNOW!**

**MidgetX: Thank you! I know, I've been gone for a long time, but I'm back! And I have a basic thread of thought with this story. I'm sorry you're sick! Get well soon! XD Somewhat?  
**

Palicrovol hoped he'd never have to be on a boat again. He leaned over the railed gritting his teeth. No one ELSE had to deal with this. So WHY? WHY did HE have to get all sea sick?

He threw up again, then flopped over the railing with a groan. Peter walked up from behind and stood beside him, grinning broadly.

"Don't smile at me, Old Man," Palicrovol growled. "I don't find this very funny."

"Oh, I do!" Peter snickered.

"And you call yourself my friend."

"I call myself your best friend, actually." Peter said cheerfully. Palicrovol shot him a withering glare. Peter smiled at him with mock-cheer.

They'd been on the Narcissus for a few hours now, and it hadn't taken long for Peter and the twins to gain the sea legs that Asineth and Thunder had naturally. Palicrovol failed miserably in his attempt.

Much to the amusement of the crew (and, to Palicrovol's intense shame, the pretty captain), he promptly began to vomit the lunches and breakfasts from at least three months ago. Asineth and Thunder assured him that they'd be there soon. Ruby, however, gave him the brutal truth.

"We'll get there early tomorrow morning," she said. "You'll probably be sick the whole time." Palicrovol groaned. She smirked slightly. "Get some small food in you. Crackers or something." Her smirk grew wider. "And try not to throw up on my ship."

Palicrovol took out a cracker and nibbled on it. He and Peter stared out towards the Tattered Spire, which was getting ever closer.

"We're almost there, yeah?" Palicrovol asked. Peter laughed.

"Yeah, I'm sure we-"

Their conversation was interrupted suddenly by a high, shrill shriek. They both turned and ran towards the sound (or, in Palicrovol's case, stumbled with a groan), and found Briar and Thunder hovering helplessly over Whisper.

Her face was a mask of pain, the Will scars covering her body pulsed and flickered. Asineth and Ruby ran up. Asineth looked worried, Ruby looked slightly irritated and confused.

"What in the name of the Three Judges is going on?" She snapped.

"We don't know!" Briar said, horrified. "She just screamed and fell over." Ruby scowled.

"Well…" she said slowly, glancing at the prone figure. "Get her into a bed. We'll try to pick up some speed." The companions nodded, and Thunder picked her up gently, carrying her down to the barracks.

--

The Heroes sat in their cells. Lucien had had been incensed. He'd ordered all of them to be put back in their cells, then walked away, muttered angrily about "no precedents" and "an inconvenience, nothing more."

Theresa said nothing as they settled back into their cells. She remained as silent and unmovable as an angel statue as she sat in her cell, eyes closed.

Garth stood in the corner of his cell, trembling violently.

"Why?" He asked, his voice quiet with rage. "Why did you do that?"

Lucien would have succeeded. I have bought us time. You are still a Hero. You still can fight. But most of your power has gone to another, along with your title of Hero of Will.

"Who did it go to?" Reaver asked interestedly.

"Do the personal lives of the other Heroes interest you?" Theresa asked with a small smirk. Reaver bristled.

"Well, no! No, of course not!"

"Then why ask?" Theresa answered. Reaver scowled.

"Fine." He snapped.

"Of course, the name of the selfless man who sacrificed himself for you and your daughter interests you, doesn't it, Reaver?" Theresa asked. The other Heroes turned.

"It's… been on my mind." Reaver admitted reluctantly.

"Well, you will see who helped you soon enough." Theresa said cheerfully. "Until then, you'll just have to wait. Don't worry, Reaver. It won't be long."

Reaver huffed in disappointment, but said nothing. Theresa chuckled.

"Don't worry, Reaver. You'll get your answers soon enough." She said softly. Reaver ignored her.

"So, what now?" Sparrow asked softly. "How much time does this buy?"

"Just enough, little Sparrow." Theresa said fondly. "Just enough."

**Shorter than usual, but I'll make up for it later.**


	15. Hero of Will

**I... don't think there was a review. I couldn't find one in my inbox. If you did and I was just lazy, I'm sorry! Please review, and enjoy!**

That night, minutes seemed like hours. The Heroes watched anxiously as Whisper went through the night feverish, her Will scars pulsing, her hair getting lighter and lighter.

Peter stood out on the deck, staring at the harvest moon, the waves splashing against the side of the ship. Down below deck, Palicrovol snored, Asineth slept in a chair, and Briar and Thunder watched over Whisper.

Peter turned at the sound of footsteps and saw Ruby approach. She stood next to him, watching the light orange moon.

"So, you're some kind of Hero, huh?" Ruby asked abruptly. Peter laughed.

"Yeah. Crucible Champ," he said with a grin, jerking his thumb at his chest. Ruby smirked.

"I heard about that. I even watched one. You sure aged fast." She said. Peter scowled.

"This wasn't my choice."

"I doubt aging is anyone's choice."

"No, but this was worse than usual." Ruby raised her eyebrows questioningly. Peter sighed, and told his story, from start to finish.

Ruby listened in silence, not once interrupting. She just sat there, watching him as he gestured; as his voice went loud with anger or excitement and sweep down low in sadness or confidentiality. Ruby watched him closely, watching the emotions play across his much older face. The captain of the Narcissus smiled slightly. The amazing circumstances around his story didn't quite hit her until he'd gotten to the point of Wraithmarsh, where he gave up his youth for Reaver. Then it started to hit her.

_He's a goddamn Hero. A big damn hero! _The weight of what he was saying began to press on her. The Spire. The wraith of Lucien. The blind gypsy. His parents and the other Heroes being captured and held for a decade.

"And then Asi brought us here." Peter finished lamely. "And you agreed to take us to Westcliff."

"Right…" Ruby said slowly. "So. You can… make magical fire."

"Yeah, but Briar and Whisper are better at it than me."

"And the four Heroes have been kidnapped by a guy who was brought back by the Will of the Spire."

"Right."

"…. And I fit somewhere in this equation?" Ruby asked archly.

"You're the generous captain who whisks us off to Westcliff." Peter said cheerfully. Ruby laughed.

"You sure about that? I could keelhaul you right now." She said. Peter grinned.

"You could, but I doubt you will."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Because… I dunno. You just seem like a good person. Deep down."

"Yeah?" Ruby asked with a laugh. "Way way way way deep down."

"Not so deep." Peter said with a smile. Ruby blinked at him, then smiled.

"You're sweet." She said, reaching over and taking his hand.

Their eyes met, and there was a sudden silence. And a sudden heat. Peter felt his heart skip a beat or two as his dark blue eyes met her light blue ones.

Ruby blinked, then looked at her slender hand. It was pressed against Peter's big, clunky one, and she cleared her throat, pulling her hand away. Peter quickly did the same.

"So…" Ruby said. "You better get to bed. It's late, and no doubt you'll have a big day tomorrow, what with the whole… finding a ship to get you to the Spire."

"Y-yeah." Peter muttered, heading for the stairs. As he approached the door, he turned and glanced at Ruby.

She stood at the railing of the ship, leaning against it, staring up at the moon. Peter felt himself blush again, then went into the barracks.

--

Whisper opened her eyes. She found herself staring at a wooden ceiling, in an unfamiliar bed, surrounded by familiar faces, all of which were asleep. She sat up, letting her chin hit her chest. Her hair flopped around her face like a curtain, and she gasped. It was pale white, absolutely snow white, like her fathers. She held out her hands. They were traced intricately with pale blue Will scars. She pulled the blanket off of herself.

Her entire body was covered with the Will scars. Her legs, her feet, her stomach, her chest, everywhere. She swallowed, and got up.

Her very being coursed with power. Her blood thrummed with Will. The tips of her hair crackled with blue energy. She bit her lip. It was disconcerting, being so powerful. She stood, swaying a little. It was a heady feeling.

She went over to Briar and shook her shoulder. Her sister opened her eyes, focused, and gasped.

"Whisper…" She gasped. "You look so… different."

"Yes, I guess so." She said, smiling slightly. Briar shook her head slowly.

"No… You're hair and your eyes… You're eyes are bright blue." She said slowly. Whisper shrugged.

"Oh. I'm sorry?"

"No… I'm just… Glad that you're okay." She said softly. Whisper smiled even wider.

Palicrovol yawned and rubbed his eyes. He blinked at Whisper blurrily. "Oh… An Atlantian." Whisper laughed.

"No. Just me." She said. Palicrovol grinned and ran over, wrapping her in a huge hug. Peter and Asineth woke up, and beamed, running over and joining in on the huge. Thunder awoke, then smiled in relief.

Ruby came down, drawn in by the joyous shouts and the laughter. She smiled slightly.

"Well, this is great and all," she said, her voice cutting through the scene like a sliver of ice. "But we're almost to Westcliff, so pack your bags and get moving."

"Wait, Rub," Asineth said, smiling winningly. "I have a little favor to ask of you."

"No. I'm not taking you to the Tattered Spire." Ruby said bluntly. "And if you ask again, I'll have to throw you off my ship-"

Asineth sighed, then walked over to Ruby, muttered, "I'm sorry about this," and kneed her in the stomach. The blonde doubled over, staring up with a look of outrage and betrayal. Then, Asineth took out her pistol and slammed the butt of the gun in the back of the captain's head. Ruby fell to the floor, out cold.

The companions stared at Asineth in shock as she stood over the unconscious woman, staring down dispassionately.

Peter rushed over and picked her up, carrying her to a bunk in the barracks and placed her gently onto the bed.

"That was really smooth." The twins said in unison. Thunder chuckled.

"And what exactly does that accomplish?" Palicrovol asked, looking uncomfortable.

Then, the tall woman walked up to the deck and to the helm. The companions followed, and watched as she shot into the air, grabbing the crew's attention.

"Hello, everyone! You know me, yes? I'm Asineth, Reaver's daughter." She smiled winningly, while the crew stared at her in confusion. "Now, here's the deal. Captain Ruby had a little _accident_." The crew muttered amongst each other. "So, you'll be under temporary new management. Me." The crew stared at her. "Now, we're going to go that way." She pointed to the Spire. "That'll be it. Now, if any of you have problems with that, you can talk to my friends." She indicated the companions. The crew stared at the twins, one of which was very strange looking, the two muscle bound men and the rangy old Crucible winner, and fidgeted.

"Well?" Peter asked, drawing the Daichi to make a point. "What'll it be?"

The crew went to work. Asineth grinned, then took hold of the wheel, spinning it hard.

"Right! Plan B! I _love _Plan B!"


	16. The Spire

"It looked so much smaller from farther away…" Palicrovol said in awe as they sailing into the Spire dock. The Heroes stepped off, and Thunder made to as well, but Asineth shook her head.

"No, Thunder. You have to stay and make sure that this doesn't sail off. We'll need it to get back. Besides," she smiled. "This is Hero business. I won't have you die here." Thunder looked torn, but, in the end, followed his captains orders.

"Okay," Peter said, walking into the Spire. "What do we do here?"

"Well… Plan A consists of finding Lucien and killing him." Asineth said, looking around at the architecture of place. It was unreal.

"That doesn't sound very smart." Briar snapped. "We should get our parents first. We'll need their help." Everyone nodded, and Asineth rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Plan B again."

"Well, it worked so well last time." Peter said with a smile.

"But how do we find them?" Palicrovol said, gazing at the inside of the Spire. "This place is enormous."

"I think I know where they are." Whisper said suddenly. They turned to stare at her.

She stood, gazing intently at the light, her now-blue eyes glowing slightly.

"I feel a kind of _pull_." She said unhelpfully.

"Towards the light?" Peter asked blankly.

"No. That way." Whisper pointed towards a corridor, then set off down it. The Heroes watched for a moment, then Palicrovol said slowly, "Well… It's the best thing we've got."

They ran through hall after hall, not running into anyone. Peter and Asineth found this suspicious, but Palicrovol waved them off.

"Maybe they just sleep in late." Peter had a feeling at this wasn't the case.

The place thrummed with a strange, almost frightening energy. Even as she ran, Whisper found herself lulled into an almost trance-like state. Her own power seemed trivial compared to that of this massive structure.

The others too, felt the power of this conduit. It made all of them, even the thick-headed Palicrovol, uneasy. The only one who was truly in tune with the Spire was Whisper.

As Whisper sunk deeper into the trance, her eyes continued to glow a bright blue. Her own heartbeat synched with the Spire's, even as she ran down the hall towards the cells of the Heroes. Her power began to mesh with the Spire's. And it was amazing.

--

Sparrow and Reaver were playing catch when Theresa stood up suddenly. The four stared at her as she turned and smiled.

"Ah. They are here."

"Who's they?" Hammer asked.

"I think you know perfectly well who 'they' are, Hammer." Theresa said with amusement. Then she frowned. "Hm. Our new Hero of Will is more in sync with the Spire than you were, Garth." Garth frowned in puzzlement. "It is problematic, but not an inhibitor. In fact, it very well may help us."

Before any of them could say anything, voices came from outside the door.

"Okay, so this is it?" A deep voice asked.

"Yes." A thickly accented, almost empty voice said.

"Okay, Whisper? Focus." Another voice, not as deep as the first voice, but still quite deep, said, sounding concerned.

"Oh. No. I'm sorry." Garth gasped. The Heroes stood up, staring at the door in blatant hope.

"Alright, so it's locked." A high, feminine voice with the same accent as Reaver said, irritated. "Plan B goes out the window."

"What about Plan C?" A thickly accented voice that was slightly huskier than the second said.

"Oh. Right. Plan… uh… C." There was a gunshot, and then the door was kicked literally off it's hinges.

In walked a tall, smirking blonde, an enormous red-head with an axe, a tall old man with the Daichi, and twins. One seemed strangely distracted, and was covered with intricate Will scars. She had pure white hair, and her eyes glowed softly blue. The other looked the same, but her Will scars weren't nearly as prominent, and she was dark of hair and grey of eye.

The parents stared at their children. They had certainly grown up, and, at this point, they were all fairly certain that they were going to be proud of their kids.

The old man smiled and walked over to Sparrow's cage and smiled.

"Mother! You look great, all things considered!" He said happily. Sparrow stared, blinking in incomprehension. Then she gasped.

"Peter?" She asked, reaching up and touching his withered cheek. Peter blushed.

"Oh, um, right. See, the Dark Seal started pulsing, and I didn't want Asi to be all old, I-"

"YOU TOOK MY SON'S YOUTH TOO, YOU BASTARD!" Sparrow shrieked at Reaver, who cringed.

"It's not I tricked him. He knew exactly what was happening." Reaver said, glancing at Asineth. He smiled slightly. "Why, my dear Asineth. You make me proud just by being nearly as beautiful as me." Asineth beamed.

"It's good to see you too." She said softly.

Hammer grabbed Palicrovol, laughing. "Oh, you! Look at you! Like a big, red-headed bear!" She chirped. Palicrovol laughed, unable to fit his arms through the bars to give her a hug.

Garth said nothing. He simply reached out, and the twins ran over, slipping their thin arms through the bars easily.

"O-okay," Palicrovol said, wiping his hand across his eyes. "Right. So, how do we open these?"

"You'll need the key." Garth said.

"Feh. Screw that." Palicrovol said. He spat on his hands, rubbed them together (much to Reaver and Asineth's disgust), grabbed hold of the bars of Hammer's cell, and pulled.

With a loud crash, the bars ripped off the hinges. Palicrovol overbalanced and fell. The bars clanged loudly against the stone.

They all stared at him in shock. Whisper strode over and kicked him in the ribs, hard.

"Fool of a monk!" She snapped. "Use your head next time!" Palicrovol looked shamefaced.

"Well… I guess there's nothing to do but do the same thing." Hammer said, looking pale. "That was a bit stupid of you, Palicrovol."

"A bit?" Reaver asked incredulously.

"Shut up, Youth Leech." Sparrow snapped.

"Oh, that's my name now, is it?" Reaver snapped.

"Hush." Theresa said sharply. "Hammer, Palicrovol, get these doors open. You have alerted Lucien of your arrival, and the guards are coming."

"Smooth move," Peter muttered. Palicrovol cringed.

Several loud bangs later, they all were out. The parents sighed in relief.

Asineth hesitated, then leapt over and grabbed Reaver, hugging him tightly. Reaver stumbled back in something akin to shock, then, awkwardly, hugged her back.

Sparrow and Peter hugged tightly; Palicrovol and Hammer wrapped each other up in a huge bear hug, and Whisper and Briar both hugged Garth with a contented sigh.

"Alright," Theresa said softly. "It's time to go."

They ran out of the room, and immediately encountered Spire Guards.

The companions drew their weapons and readied their spells. Theresa held the other Heroes back.

"You cannot do anything in these circumstances." She said softly. "Just watch, and see how they've grown."

It was over in a matter of minutes. The Daichi cut through their defenses like a hot knife through butter. Palicrovol plowed through entire ranks of the guards like a bear, smashing heads. Asineth stood coolly back, killing men with headshots, even killing three men with a single shot, due to some remarkable physics. Magical fire and lighting rippled out from Briar and Whisper, throwing men away and killing them.

"Come on!" Peter yelled.

"Wait…" Whisper whispered (A.N.: It was only a matter of time…). Reaching her hands out towards the Heroes, lightning flew from her fingertips, going to the collars around their necks. "There." The collars fell off. "Now we can go." Theresa smiled, rubbing her neck where the collar once was.

"Quite remarkable." She said softly.

They ran into the main hall, and made for the bright door of light. As they went up the stairs, a sharp, cold voice called out, "ASINETH, YOU SLUT!" Asineth went white and turned.

Ruby was awake. Thunder stood, holding her back.

"You little slut!" Ruby shrieked. "I'll kill you! You took my ship! I'd expect this from Reaver, but I trusted you!" Asineth winced.

"Ruby, calm down!" Peter yelled warningly, while Sparrow grabbed Reaver before he was able to draw his gun(quite a feat).

Ruby was livid. Palicrovol coughed and muttered, "So, let's go."

They ran into the door of light, studiously ignoring Ruby's outraged cries.


	17. Reunion

**Gamerof1458: Sure. Sure. XD**

**Here it is. Almost done. XD**

The room was strange. A bridge spanned out, and in the center was a strange platform.

It was also very, very empty.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" Palicrovol screamed. "We go through this whole thing, and he's not in a place convenient for us!?" Peter snorted in amusement, and Asineth rolled her eyes.

"Okay, let's leave then." Asineth said with a shrug.

"We can't just leave!" Hammer said quickly.

"No. You're right. You can't." A voice said coldly. The Heroes turned to Lucien appear in the center of the platform.

The older Heroes tensed, but the younger Heroes were shocked. The man looked infinitesimally old. Too old to even be alive. The smirk on his face was horrifying.

His old eyes fixed on Whisper, and his smirk grew wider.

"Ah yes. There you are." He said. "The new Hero of Will. Yes?" He turned to Theresa. She nodded slightly. "Well then." Lucien pulled out a gun and pointed it at Briar. "You are not needed."

The gunshot slammed into all of them. It hit Briar high on the chest. She stumbled backwards, a look of empty shock on her face, then fell off the bridge, into the pitch black below.

Whisper screamed and doubled over, falling to her knees. Asineth ran to the edge and reached down, as if there was still some chance of catching her. Palicrovol roared with rage and drew his axe. Peter was white, and silently unsheathed the Daichi.

Lucien rolled his eyes and closed them, beginning to mutter. Palicrovol roared again and ran at him. Peter ran at him as well, ignoring the mutters.

A large mistake.

Something dark and slimy rose from the depths of the Spire. A giant head, lined with arms and screaming faces, grabbed the boys and swallowed them up like a swelling tide.

Whisper was on her knees, in a grief-induced haze. Asineth leapt up and drew her gun pointing at the thing in desperation, shooting wildly. The thing swallowed her up as well, as easily as it had the boys.

"Yes," Lucien said with a deranged grin. "Eat them up, Oakvale's Hatred."

The stuff swirled around Reaver and Hammer, and gobbled up Sparrow and Garth.

"My axe doesn't do anything to it!" Palicrovol called, rising from the muddy, murky depths. Peter rose up, gasping.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Peter bellowed. Asineth rose up.

"This is disgusting!"

The mouth of the head opened. The three stared as Sparrow and Garth burst out.

"Oh my…" Sparrow said slowly.

"Are you kidding me?!" Palicrovol screamed.

The mouth closed, literally eating them.

Spire guards skirted around the muck and dragged Reaver, Hammer and Whisper over to the platform, then bolted as the circles began to glow.

As the Three struggled, Sparrow, Garth, Asineth and Peter sunk deeper into the muck called Oakvale's Hatred. The muck began to crush and smother them. Peter gritted his teeth, then gasped as a voice whispered in his ear, or brain.

"_You… You're the Heir?_"

"Huh?" Peter, the master of eloquence.

"_You can hear us?_ _Help us! Please! You hear us, right? Please! Let us die!_" Peter felt his stomach drop.

"You're…"

--

Lucien grinned. Power was running into him, pouring in from the Three. Lucien glanced at the Three.

The Heroes of Skill and Strength struggled futilely, but the Hero of Will hung there, an almost peaceful look on her face. It made Lucien uncomfortable, but he couldn't do anything about it now.

"And now," he said. "This world will bow to me, as the Spire does. And it will be perfect. And," his deranged grin grew softer. "I'll see my Helena and Amelia again."

_No._

The word reverberated through the Spire. The power ceased to pour into Lucien, and Hammer and Reaver fell to their knees, gasping for breath.

A blue light blossomed just above Whisper's heart. It burst, and her feet met the stone. Her eyes opened; they glowed the bright blue of the Will and the Spire.

_You do not control the Spire, Lucien. _The voice seemed to come from the very walls, but it was Whisper's voice. _You never controlled the Spire. You will pay for your insolence with your death._

Lucien stared at the young woman in shock, then snarled.

"What are you? Who do you think you are?" He growled. "I control this place! And in my new world, there will be no need for people like _you._" He spat the last word. Whisper's glowing eyes narrowed.

_You don't even know who you speak to, do you?_

"In my world, there will be no need. No Heroic blood will flow; you will all die here. No chaos, no war. And no Heroes!"

A gunshot resounded through the cavern. Lucien stumbled forward in shock, and fell off the platform, into the dark. Whisper's glowing eyes widened, and she turned. Hammer and Reaver looked up weakly.

A pale, slender arm poked out of the murk, a smoking gun in it's hand. Oakvale's Hatred fell apart with a splash, and the Heroes fell to their knees, coughing up the muck.

Asineth smirked. "Ugh, I thought he would never shut up!" She said, smirking. She looked innocently at the slightly surprised Whisper. "Oh, I'm sorry." She looked around at everyone, all of whom were staring at her. "Did you want to kill him?"

Peter started laughing. Palicrovol grinned. Everyone chuckled, then began laughing hysterically. Whisper smiled.

"Y-you're not Whisper, are you?" Peter asked, wiping a tear from his eye.

_No. I am not._

"Are you the Spire?" Asineth asked in wonder.

_You catch on quicker than Lucien. But that is neither here nor there. _Whisper smiled. _We will all meet again. Until then… hold your hearts close. And know that you are not alone._

The light blossomed again, but then imploded. Whisper fell to her knees, gasping, as Theresa walked up to the center and turned to the others.

"I would like to thank you all," she said. "For regaining the Spire for me."

"Wait…" Sparrow said slowly. "You… You KNEW this was gonna happen!" She said, horrified.

"Perhaps." Theresa said carefully.

"You did all this. You got us locked up here for a decade. You… made it so I didn't get to see my child grow up." She stared, betrayed. Theresa said nothing.

Whisper spoke up. "Can you bring my sister back?"

Theresa turned to look at Whisper sympathetically. "No, Whisper. I can't. Neither can the Spire."

"Why not?" Sparrow snapped.

"It can bring back hundreds of thousands of people killed in making this," Reaver said slowly. "But it can't bring back one woman? She's not even that big!"

"It was predicted by Oakvale's Hatred that this would happen. The Spire cannot undo what was decided at the being. I'm sorry." Theresa said softly.

"I'm leaving." Sparrow snarled. She got up and strode past Theresa, helping Whisper to her feet. "And this time, I'm not coming back." The others got up, glaring at Theresa.

"Alright." Theresa said softly, almost sadly. "Good-bye, little Sparrow."

They walked out of the door of light, and as soon as they all crossed over, the light disappeared, being replaced by stone.

Sparrow sobbed and fell to her knees, holding her head in her hands. The Heroes watched helplessly before Hammer went over and wrapped her arms around her, letting the woman sob in her shoulder.

_I believe I owe you an apology, little Sparrow. _Theresa's voice echoed through the cavern. Exclamations of shock came from the ship that was docked as the Heroes looked up. _So… I will see you soon. _

Sparrow glared at where the door once was, then her eyes widened as the sound of nails clinking on stone echoed through the chamber.

Sparrow turned in shock as the warm, wet tongue of Chap, the golden retriever, smacked across her face, and his golden head rammed into her chest comfortingly.


	18. Homecoming

**Gamerof1458: Well, Theresa couldn't bring back Briar. Plus.... I don't like Briar, so I killed her off. Do not question the calculated whims of the authoress.**

The Narcissus sailed out of the Spire's docks, the sun blanketing it, it's crew, and it's passengers. And it's very angry captain.

"Give me one good reason," Ruby said to the shame-faced younger Heroes. "Why I shouldn't keelhaul each and every one of you right now."

Ruby had been livid, but Peter talked her into allowing them to get on the ship, with some difficulty. She eventually let them on, with a confused glare at Chap, who trotted by the heels of Sparrow.

Now, the older Heroes sat off to the side, staring at the land off on the horizon and the great blue sky. Reaver watched Ruby yell at the companions with a frown, while Garth sat with a distraught Whisper. Sparrow sat on the rail, scratching Chap's ear.

"Well... Our parents wouldn't be too pleased." Asineth said, gesturing at Reaver. He smiled brightly and waved his newly reclaimed Dragonstomper with cheer. Ruby frowned.

"That is a good point." She said, biting her lip. Chap barked sharply. "Fine. But I choose where we go first."

"Bloodstone?" Reaver said hopefully.

Ruby stared at him, a dry smile on her face. "Hilarious. No, we're going to Bowerstone."

"Whoot!" Peter cheered.

"Then we're going to Hook Coast, then to Samarkand, _then _Bloodstone."

"That's going to take almost a month!" Asineth wailed.

"I know." Ruby said with a smirk. "Get comfy."

--

A few days later, the Narcissus sailed into the Bowerstone harbor. Chap barked happily and pranced around while Peter and Sparrow got up eagerly.

"Bye guys! We'll see you soon!" Sparrow chirped.

"I hope to god not." Reaver said with equal, mocking cheer. Sparrow pulled a sarcastic face as she jumped off.

"Bye Hammer! Bye Garth! Bye kiddies!" She chirped while Palicrovol hugged Peter and Asineth emotionally. Sparrow ran up the stairs to the bridge while Peter and the others said their good-byes.

Sparrow stopped in her tracks, staring.

There was her husband, Dave. Picking up a child that wasn't hers. Kissing a laughing woman who most certainly wasn't her. Sparrow bit her lip.

It made sense. It was too much to ask. He probably thought she'd died a long time ago. Still...

"Why didn't he tell me?" She asked herself, turning to Peter as he ran up the stairs, grinning. He frowned when he saw her face, then looked.

His look made it clear that he'd had no idea about this development. Sparrow took a deep breath. Chap whined and barked. Dave looked up.

The shell-shocked expression on his face was too much. With a sigh, Sparrow went back down the stairs to the dock. Peter hesitated, then followed. Chap barked almost accusingly at Dave, then followed his master.

Ruby blinked as the three came back onboard.

"Is there a problem?" She asked curiously.

"'Problem' doesn't even being to cover it." Sparrow groaned, sitting down and holding her head in her hands.

Hammer sat down next to her and laid her hand on her shoulder. Reaver sighed, then, reluctantly, opened his arms. Sparrow stared at him with watery eyes.

"Oh, you know you want a hug." Reaver said grudgingly. Sparrow sniffled, then burst out crying and practically tackled him. Reaver awkwardly patted her on the back, then looked around at the other Heroes for help. Garth held his hands up in an amused 'don't look at me' sort of way. Hammer went over and wrapped her huge arms around them both, squeezing.

"Okay, now you two need to let go." Reaver said in a strangled voice. Both women laughed and let him go. Reaver smiled. "How about a kiss, Dear Sparrow?" Sparrow stared at him.

"Have you no shame?" She asked.

"Sparrow, I was in that Spire for ten years," he said seriously. "Ten long, kiss-less.... sex-less years."

"You aren't getting anything out of me, Reaver." Sparrow laughed. Reaver sighed.

"Well. One had to try."

--

Hammer invited Sparrow to stay with her in Hookcoast, and she agreed. Palicrovol had someone to go to in Oakfield, and was ready to knock Peter out and kidnap him to get him to meet her, so to save hassle and a headache, Peter agreed to get off at Oakfield with him.

As the Narcissus anchored, and Peter and Palicrovol made to get off.

"You come and visit us a lot, you here?" Hammer said sadly.

"Yeah. We'll come really soon!" Palicrovol said cheerfully. Peter hugged his mother tightly.

"I'll see you soon." He said softly.

"Come visit."

"I will."

Palicrovol wrapped the girls up in a huge hug. Whisper even smiled at Asineth as the taller woman cried and then smacked Palicrovol, telling him to lay off. There was another round of hugs and manly handshakes, and then the two men got off. They rowed the boat over to the dock, all the while waving.

As they tied up the boat, a pretty young woman with long brown hair in a plain dress and no shoes came running down from Oakfield. She jumped on Palicrovol, and they both fell into the water, laughing happily. Peter laughed, and Palicrovol called to the ship, "This is Lily!" The brunette waved, laughing.

Grinning, the others waved happily and sailed off to Hook Coast.

--

As they went farther north, snow began to fall and ice gathered on the masts and sails. Ruby put all the passengers to work breaking it all off, and they all bundled up and complied, with minimal grumbling, most of which was from Reaver.

Then, they finally made port. The crew, bundled up in furs and blankets, watched as a small crowd of Warrior Monks came running down to welcome Hammer back.

A tall, lanky monk with brown hair streaked with grey ran up, grinning in anticipation. Hammer shrieked and ran towards him. They hugged happily, crying. Sparrow smiled a smile tinged with sadness. She started down the walkway, then stopped. Turned, she ran to the Heroes of Skill and hugged them tightly.

Asineth hugged her back, but Reaver was a bit more awkward. Patting her on the back slowly, he then awkwardly pushed her away. Sparrow smiled understandingly, then went to Garth, shaking his hand, then giving Whisper one final, sympathetic hug, walked off the ship. Chap didn't follow immediately. Instead, he trotted over to Whisper and licked her face gently. She lifted her blue eyes to meet his, then frowned.

"You are a strange dog." She said softly, petting his head. Chap barked, licked her face once more, then ran off after his waiting master and friend.

--

They headed south, to Samarkand. The ice melted, and they took off their bundles of blankets and fur for cooler clothing.

"Ugh..." Asineth moaned, waving a fan at her face. "Memo to me. Never go to Samarkand; too hot." Whisper and Garth laughed.

The ship finally moved into the port of Balthaza, the capitol of Samarkand. As Garth and Whisper got ready to get off, Reaver asked with vague interest, "Garth, do you have a wife?"

"No." Garth said. Reaver raised his eyebrows.

"Oooo." He said, a grin on his face.

"It's not like that." Garth said irritably.

"Our mother died when we were small," Whisper explained. Asineth cocked her head sympathetically. "Oh, please. Sympathy is tiring." Whisper said with a small laugh.

"Well, it was wonderful being around you all for three weeks." Reaver said. "I suppose I may miss you a bit." Whisper smiled.

"Good-bye, King of Thieves." She said fondly, then strode over to Asineth. They hugged each other. "And good-bye to you, Queen. Deliverer. My dear friend." Asineth smiled uncertainly, and she and her father waved to the two as they strode off into their home.

"Alright," Ruby said. "NOW we're going to Bloodstone."

"Yay!" Asineth chirped. "My little coastal paradise!" Reaver looked at his daughter sharply as she ran over to Ruby to discuss the route. He sighed.

"I need a drink..." He said to himself, picking up a bottle of stout and taking a huge swing.

--

_Theresa... She of Archon's blood._

The Spire's voice echoed through the chamber. Theresa smiled.

"O Spire, I ask in humility what Lucien demanded in arrogance. Give me the power to reshape the world, and bring true power back into it."

_Very well... You have what you need. Ask the spirits of Oakvale; you shall have your answer._

Theresa smiled.

"We will meet again soon, Little Sparrow. Very soon."

**To be continued... in the sequel. **


End file.
